Australian
Screen

an NFSA website

Titles tagged with ‘identity’

22 titles - sorted alphabetically or by year

B

Beyond Sorry documentary – 2003

The filmmakers get to the heart of the consequence of child removal, yet tell a story that is painfully humane, and never compromising the humanity and beauty of its subjects.

Bran Nue Dae documentary – 1991

There’s nothing I would rather be than to be an Aborigine’ is probably the most famous line from the successful stage musical.

C

Case 442 documentary – 2005

Case 442 is a personal testimonial to the effects of Aboriginal child removal policies, and the lifelong consequences it has had upon people who have endured being separated from their families and communities.

Cybergirl – Series 1 Episode 1 television program – 2000

Cybergirl crashes to earth. Pursued by evil replicant bounty hunters, she takes refuge with Jackson and his father Hugh.

D

Dance Me to My Song feature film – 1998

A woman with severe cerebral palsy battles to maintain her dignity and independence in the face of a selfish and negligent carer.

F

From Sand to Celluloid – Black Man Down short film – 1996

This short experimental drama offers a spiritual alternative to fighting the system. To overcome injustice, return to your spiritual roots for healing to take place.

From Sand to Celluloid – Two Bob Mermaid short film – 1996

In this visually stunning short film set in the 1950s, a fair-skinned Aboriginal girl gains access to the local swimming pool where Aboriginal people are legally denied access.

H

Head On feature film – 1998

In terms of iconoclastic daring, Head On has no equal in Australian cinema. It broke so many rules, offended so many polite conventions, attacked so many silences, that it left audiences stunned and gulping for air.

J

Jimmy Little’s Gentle Journey documentary – 2006

Jimmy Little’s softly softly style came under scrutiny during the heyday of 1970s Indigenous politics.

L

Legacy of the Silver Shadow – The Feral Element television program – 2002

1950s superhero the Silver Shadow and his archenemy The Crab are revealed to four kids who carry on the struggle between good and evil.

M

Maidens documentary – 1978

Almost four years in the making, Maidens sparked impassioned debate and became compulsory viewing in women and film courses around the country.

My Mother Told Me short film – 2007

A fragmentary account of the horrors of war in Cambodia evolves into an exploration of its aftershocks in a family and the impact of cultural dislocation on identity.

O

Ocean Girl – Series 2, Episode 3 television program – 1995

Ocean Girl is a beautiful alien that can swim at extraordinary speed and telepathically communicate with a humpback whale called Charley.

P

Pugwall – Hollow Drums television program – 1989

The insightful scripts capture teenager angst in a comic and recognisable way; fashions might change but relationships between teenagers and parents don’t.

R

The Rage in Placid Lake feature film – 2003

The Rage in Placid Lake is a comic drama, tinged with the absurd, and musician-turned-actor Ben Lee plays the title character with the required amount of chutzpah.

S

The Secret Life of Us – Now or Never television program – 2001

This final episode of the first season makes reference to the desirable 'trifecta’ of partner, job and home first raised in episode one but adds an unspoken fourth element – friendship.

Shifting Sands – Grace short film – 1998

This short drama from Wesley Enoch depicts the emotional journey of an Indigenous woman back to Australia for the funeral of her sister.

Shifting Sands – Tears short film – 1997

Tears introduces the two main characters from Ivan Sen’s feature film Beneath Clouds, and also presents the elements that shape his later feature.

T

Tom White feature film – 2004

Colin Friels’s performance in the title role is one of the best of his career, and it is a key factor behind the film’s artistic success.

Touch the Sun – Princess Kate television program – c1988

This is a story of insecurity, snobbery, fear, love and hope as this young girl takes herself and two families on an emotionally painful journey to find out who she really is.

W

Winners – On Loan television program – 1985

This is a strong and very painful story as Lindy is forced to make a difficult choice between her natural father and her adoptive parents.

Wirrangul Women: Always Have, Always Will documentary – 2006

Elders Doreen and Gladys are the last speakers of the Wirangu language. They must find a way to pass their language and tradition on to younger generations.