All documentaries
544 titles - sorted alphabetically or by year prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 next
1990s (continued)
Empty Arms, Broken Hearts 1994
One of the people who made this study of abduction had her own children taken out of Australia by their father, a Malaysian prince.
Eternity 1994
Cinematographer Dion Beebe has beautifully recreated 1930s Sydney here — and about 10 years later won an Oscar.
Fences 1994
When a man pulls a sheet over a woman’s head and yell’s 'Dutch oven’, the relationship needs to be severed, says Judi McCrossin.
Harold 1994
A big man with a big voice. As the first Indigenous man to sing on national radio, Harold Blair carried huge responsibilities on his shoulders.
It’s Ruth: Ruth Cracknell, Actor 1994
It’s Ruth begins as a romp with Ruth as Maggie Beare through some of the zaniest scenes of Mother and Son, and ends with her as Winnie in Happy Days.
The Last Whale 1994
Credited as being influential in the IWC’s 1994 decision to create the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, this film is a passionate plea to save whales from extinction.
My Country 1994
My Country is about the impact of the Native Title Act on relationships between Indigenous peoples and pastoralists.
Rebels With a Cause 1994
Cecil Waters rules the family with a ‘rod of iron’, and is training his sons to be champion boxers.
Rites of Passage 1994
Exploring the rites of passage that accompany entry into adulthood, three rebellious teenagers and their parents struggle to resolve their differences.
Smart’s Labyrinth 1994
Artist Jeffrey Smart observes that he doesn’t like viewing his finished work as 'every picture is a defeat’.
Tall Tales but True: David Williamson – playwright 1994
David Williamson began writing plays in 1968 at La Mama Theatre Company in Melbourne. He fell in love with Kristen Green on the set of The Removalists.
When the Lights Go Out: Cockroaches, a Domestic History 1994
A tour of domestic life from a cockroach’s point of view. Humankind are a passing evolutionary novelty compared to their 300 million years on earth.
The Black Swan: Meryl Tankard Choreographer 1995
Meryl Tankard was on a high at the Australian Dance Theatre in this 1995 documentary; the controversial dispute was later.
Carcrash 1995
Plenty of emotion and trauma is on display when 26 people speak to camera about the road accidents they were involved in.
Dance of Nature: The Music of Ross Edwards 1995
Interesting points on the effect nature has on creativity are raised in this documentary about composer Ross Edwards.
Demons at Drivetime 1995
A day-in-the-life-of shock jocks Howard Sattler, Bob Francis, Alan Jones, Ron Casey, Brian Wiltshire and Stan Zemanek.
Doesn’t Everybody Want a Golden Guitar 1995
A theme of this foot-tapping documentary, set in Tamworth, is that country music fans are also down-to-earth like country people.
Echidna the Survivor 1995
Echidnas have no sweat pores and don’t pant, so in hot weather they go swimming to cool down.
Glued to the Telly 1995
Forty years of television broadcasting in Australia is presented in a self-conscious, ironic style.
Going Tribal 1995
It takes sophistication to live simply. Going Tribal captures the joy of life and values of a group of ferals living in the Byron Bay area.
The Good Looker 1995
Joy Hester’s emotionally disturbing and challenging work mainly deals with the relationships between men and women. Her genius is now gaining wider recognition.
The Hillmen: A Soccer Fable 1995
With Greek and Turkish communities moving out of the area, the Clifton Hill Soccer Club must recruit from a newer wave of Asian immigrants or face extinction.
The Isabellas: The Long March 1995
Political events in China are humanised through refugee Chen Xing Liang, with his softly spoken determination to live in a democracy.
The Last True Action Hero 1995
This frank and delightful documentary follows young trainee firefighters as they experience the dangers and challenges of their chosen profession.
Rough Riders 1995
This film examines the gladiatorial machismo of the laconic roughriders of the rodeo.
Secret Fleets 1995
Early in the Second World War plans were made to fight the Japanese enemy on Australian soil. Americans submariners were given a warm welcome.
We’re All Independent Now 1995
Filmmaker Don Parham draws on his personal experience to question the effectiveness of the Family Law Act 1975 with respect to children.
The Young One: A Portrait of the Conductor Simone Young 1995
Australian-born Simone Young is a conductor who has succeeded in a highly competitive, male-dominated field.
40,000 Years of Dreaming: A Century of Australian Cinema 1996
Filmmaker George Miller is a big believer in applying Joseph Campbell’s musings on the hero’s journey to storytelling.
Advertising Missionaries 1996
In their quest to find new consumers, multinational companies are using performance to reach isolated PNG highlanders.
Alicia 1996
Alicia and her parents believe the family’s collective faith aided her recovery from a brain injury sustained in a car accident.
The Battle for Byron 1996
The Byron Bay whaling station operated between 1954 and 1962, producing more than 10,000 tonnes of oil from 1,146 whales.
Big Hair Woman 1996
An aid organisation chose to 'gently educate’ a television audience about PNG using comedy, hiring Mary Coustas for the job.
Billal 1996
Skilled documentarian, Tom Zubrycki, set out to make a film about young Lebanese-Australians in Sydney but had to change tack.
Marn Grook 1996
'Marn Grook’ is the Indigenous name of a game very similar to AFL. This revealing documentary contends that AFL is in fact derived from Marn Grook.
Numbats 1996
In 1973 the numbat was adopted as an emblem of WA, joining the black swan, the red and green kangaroo paw, and the gogo fish.
Rats in the Ranks 1996
The behind-the-scenes political wheeling and dealing in the countdown to the election of a new mayor for Sydney’s Leichhardt Council.
Taking Pictures 1996
Taking Pictures examines ethnographic filmmaking in Papua New Guinea and explores filming across cultural boundaries.
Win Some Lose Some 1996
This documentary traces the fall and rise of three entrepreneurs during the economic recession of 1990–1991 and examines the dynamics of families under pressure.
After Mabo 1997
The most respected Indigenous commentators on native title are featured here, thus adding to the documentary’s historical importance.
The Barefoot Bushman: Dancing With Dingoes 1997
The film includes footage of Bruce Jacobs, who established a dingo sanctuary in Victoria and bred dingoes for domestic sale.
Brothers and Sisters 1997
Actor Rachael Maza and her sister are among the people featured in this look at sibling behaviour.
Colour Bars 1997
Director Mahmoud Yekta’s Colour Bars was nominated for Best Documentary at the 1997 Australian Film Institute Awards.
Exile in Sarajevo 1997
The children’s stories are the most poignant in this very moving account, from civilians, of the last six months of the Bosnian War.
Final Insult 1997
When some people are 'allergic to the 20th century’ they become captives in their own homes.
Jabiluka 1997
This film offers Indigenous, scientific and economic perspectives on the issue of mining uranium at Jabiluka.
The Last of the Nomads 1997
A feature-length documentary about an expedition to find the last suriving nomadic couple, who broke tribal marriage laws and fled into the Gibson desert.
Lizzy Gardiner’s Story of the Fame Game 1997
Director and interviewer Lizzy Gardiner had her own taste of fame when she won the Best Costume Design Oscar for The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.
Mao’s New Suit 1997
A frank, behind-the-scenes look at modern China as two young fashion designers stage a show in Shanghai.
No More Needles Please 1997
Since the age of two, James has required two daily injections of insulin to keep him alive. Now 12, he explores options for people with diabetes.
