Australian
Screen

an NFSA website

Titles tagged with ‘sociology’

23 titles - sorted alphabetically or by year

B

Barred Wives documentary – 1993

Not all these stories of marrying prisoners end well: one woman was murdered by her bridegroom upon his release.

Bitter Herbs and Honey documentary – 1981

While this study of Jews in Carlton re-enacts how Jewish boys were bullied, it is also a celebration of family and citizenship.

Black Harvest documentary – 1992

When coffee prices plunged, it sparked drama of epic proportions in this, the third film in a celebrated trilogy set in PNG.

Boys and Balls documentary – 1994

Greig Pickhaver and John Doyle, aka 'Roy and HG’, are the commentators: of course the sport theme is tackled with humour.

Breathing Under Water feature film – 1991

The director’s preoccupation with humankind’s tendency to self-destruct was one factor that lead to the creation of this complex film.

Bridewealth for a Goddess documentary – 1999

Bridewealth for a Goddess is a remarkable record of a ritual that may never be repeated.

C

Cannibal Tours documentary – 1987

Dennis O’Rourke highlights the absurdity of the interactions between 'civilised’ tourists and 'primitives’ in a PNG village.

Commonwealth Bank – Plan for the Future advertisement – c1950

This ad appeals to its audience to patronise the Commonwealth Bank because it’s the bank they own.

Commonwealth Bank – The School Bank sponsored film – 1951

The bank commissioned this film to replace personal school visits by Bank Liaison Officers, recently cancelled because of postwar labour shortages.

Commonwealth Bank – Willie Wombat: Waste Not Want Not sponsored film – c1939

Willie Wombat was produced by Eric Porter – Australia’s first career animator – to promote the Commonwealth Savings Bank of Australia’s School Banking program.

D

Demons at Drivetime documentary – 1995

A day-in-the-life-of shock jocks Howard Sattler, Bob Francis, Alan Jones, Ron Casey, Brian Wiltshire and Stan Zemanek.

F

A Film for Discussion documentary – 1973

This black-and-white experimental film was made collectively by members of one of Australia’s first Women’s Liberation groups. It sought to promote Women’s Liberation by engaging viewers in active discussion, hence its name.

First Contact documentary – 1983

It was a gift to the filmmakers: seven rusty cans of film documenting ‘first contact’ between PNG people and three white brothers.

Forbidden Lie$ documentary – 2007

Do you want the truth or what I said?’- a real-life thriller about author Norma Khouri’s defence against claims that Forbidden Love is a fraud.

H

Hephzibah documentary – 1998

Levy has painted a portrait of a woman ahead of her time – musician Hephzibah Menuhin was imperfect, passionate, talented and driven by a humanitarian instinct.

J

Joe Leahy’s Neighbours documentary – 1988

This was an excellent opportunity to make a contemporary film about the Papua New Guinea highlands and explore the society forming in the wake of Western contact.

M

The Man Who Stole My Mother’s Face documentary – 2003

In 1989 Laura Henkel was raped. Thirteen years later her daughter, director Cathy Henkel, tries to get the case re-opened.

My Life Without Steve short feature – 1986

Set over a year, in a Sydney inner-west harbourside flat, My Life Without Steve is a challenging examination of the first phase of one woman’s long road to recovery from having loved and lost.

S

Seeking Asylum documentary – 2002

Three Afghans escaped from the Taliban and arrived in Australia as asylum seekers. Ninety-two per cent of Afghans seeking asylum in Australia are genuine refugees.

The Sharkcallers of Kontu documentary – 1982

Believing that the spirits of their ancestors dwell in the mako shark, shark callers are not only hunting but also maintaining a connection with their past.

Snowy Hydro – Conquest of the Rivers sponsored film – 1957

This is essentially a recruitment film, targeting the types of workers whose adaptability and skills base would well serve the Snowy Hydro scheme’s requirements.

T

Taking Pictures documentary – 1996

Taking Pictures examines ethnographic filmmaking in Papua New Guinea and explores filming across cultural boundaries.

Trobriand Cricket: An Ingenious Response to Colonialism documentary – 1976

This anthropological documentary covers the unique innovations made by the Trobriand Islanders of Papua New Guinea to the game of cricket.