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Clip description
Margaret recalls the day that Peter proposed. She knew from the moment they met that they would get together, especially as her mother always adored him and encouraged the relationship.
Curator’s notes
Chequerboard was inspired by the BBC’s Man Alive series. In the beginning, the Australian programs were made up largely of interviewees talking about their lives with a small amount of observational filming. As the series grew in maturity, the living camera component was extended and the cinematographers, including such illustrious names as Geoff Burton and Tony Wilson, became more expert at following the action.
Robin Hughes, one of the founders of the Chequerboard series, developed ethical guidelines for her team of researchers, especially as the stories included issues like homosexuality and poverty. The guidelines also included talking to people about how the program might be received in their family and the wider community before they were encouraged to sign on to take part.
This warm and engaging sequence is a good example of Chequerboard’s style. The effective technique of holding the interviewee in tight, unmoving close-up and not showing the interviewer gives us a real sense of closeness to, and involvement with, the person talking.
