Film Australia is a Federal Government owned and funded production and distribution company that produces documentaries and educational programs. It is not a funding agency nor a broadcaster, and aims to create an audio-visual record of Australia via the production of documentary films of national (and international?) interest.
While Film Australia’s chief market is broadcasters here and overseas, it also markets to schools, universities and community groups. The company has a library spanning 80 years of Australia’s history located within its purpose-built film and television production facility in Sydney. It especially caters for independent and low-budget productions that might otherwise not get the break they need, and this is reflected in the edited versions of the 14 short films in Film Australia’s Outback.
As the title might suggest, the 14 short films ranging from three to 14 minutes, a mix of black and white and colour, but all have an outback theme, from rugged deserts and open plains to life in a country town. The films span a time period from 1928 to 2001, so there is a huge variety in subject matter, style and technical quality. All are presented in full frame, but there are some subtle clues that suggest one or two may have been originally filmed in widescreen.
There are some well-known filmmakers represented and some familiar (very young) faces and voiceovers. Some of the short films are accompanied by brief interviews with the filmmaker filmed recently, and, in one case, a “making-of’ featurette. All of the short films are essentially documentary in style, though there is the use of actors in some of the later ones, so some are more representative of the time, rather than being legitimate documentaries.
After a short preview, introduced by respected Australian cinematographer Dean Semlar (who was involved with many of these short-films), the 14 shorts and the accompanying extras will take about three and half hours to get through. Viewing short-film compilations can be so deceptive!
The DVD comes with a warning to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people that some of the films contain images of deceased persons. I will add to that warning, in that some of the earlier films portray sexist and racist attitudes as were typical of the times, and although not intentional, are almost amusing.
Heart of Australia: (1928, B/W, 6:00). A government funded short that takes a narrated look at Alice Springs and the surrounding areas such as Palm Valley.
School of the Mailbox: (1946, B/W, 7:30). As the title suggests, this is a brief narrated look at the education system as it catered for its remotest students in the ‘40s.
Journey of a Nation: (1947, B/W, 7:00). This short takes a 1940’s style look at rail travel between the states, and the difficulties posed by the varying rail gauges that used to exist. Again, it is narrated.
Outback Patrol: (1952, B/W, 11:00). Ever fancy being an outback copper? I am sure it is tough enough today, but in 1952 it was even tougher. This mostly narrated short follows a Northern Territory policeman as he does his ‘rounds’, which are enormous to say the least. It is accompanied by a four-minute interview with the filmmaker.
Thylunga – Sports Day in the Outback: (1960, B/W, 3:00). The remote Queensland town of Thylunga is under the spotlight in this short piece that looks at the community involvement in sports day.
Desert People: (1966, B/W, 5:00): Filmed in the Western Desert, this narrated short briefly looks at the nomadic life of a small Aboriginal family. It is accompanied by a five-minute interview with the filmmaker.
Where Dead Men Lie: (1972, colour, 14:00). This is perhaps my favourite of the collection, and is more film-like than any of the other shorts, in that it is a filmed version of what is described as a Henry Lawson ‘screenplay’ long before such things were actually written. Look for Anne Haddy, and listen for Jack Thompson and Max Cullen. The accompanying five-minute interview includes text biographies. The archival nine-minute “making-of” footage includes screen tests (look for Bunny Brook), and the usual things you’ll see in a ‘making-of’ featurette.
Living Way Out: (1976, colour, 11.30). Living in a remote yet purpose-built town such as Shay Gap in the north west of Western Australia provides as many opportunities and challenges now as it did back in 1976. Shay Gap itself is now a ghost town.
Outback Supply: (1977, colour, 12:30). Delivering supplies to outback regions is the focus of this short, as it follows a long-distance truck driver and his son on their run, eventually ending in Adelaide. It is accompanied by a five-minute interview with the filmmaker.
Saturday: (1979, colour, 13:00). Filmed in small country town in northeast New South Wales, follow a shearer and his family (wife and six kids) as they scrub up and drive into ‘town’ for the highlight of the week, Saturday. Shopping, lunch, the footy, movies and the local dance are all on the agenda, and provide a fascinating insight into the life of a country town in the ‘70s. I suspect many remote country towns are still like this. There is a six-minute interview with the filmmaker included.
The Land of the Lightning Brothers: (1987, colour, 12.30). This short looks at the mythical Lightning Brothers and their relevance and importance to the Aboriginal people. It includes a four-minute interview with the filmmaker.
The Last Great Cattle Drive: (1988, colour, 12:00). Cattle drives of great distances are a thing of the past it seems, and this one in 1988 was deemed to be the last. It provides a look at the difficulties of such an activity.
The Story of Rosy Down: (1995, colour, 9:00). This ‘animated’ short attempts to explain the spread of the plant Rosy Down that is now widespread in the north of Australia. It is a quirky and colourful little film and is accompanied by a four-minute interview with the filmmaker.
Bush Mechanics – The Rainmakers: (2001, colour, 14:00). This is also quite film-like and follows the progress of five Aboriginal boys as they drive from their home in the Northern Territory to Broome in Western Australia. It comes with a six-minute interview with the filmmaker.
Phew! If your sense of national pride isn't inflated after watching this, then you're obviously not an Australian! The short films are all distinctly Australian in style and content. Film Australia’s Outback is a worthy documentary-style addition to any collection.
There is but one constant in these 14 shorts, and that is the full frame aspect ratio, though I suspect one or two may have been filmed in widescreen. The accompanying interviews are all in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, though not 16:9 enhanced. The interview footage is all crystal clear clear, has solid and accurate colouring, and is mark free. The fourteen shorts, however, are all over the shop quality-wise, but what did you expect?
There are countless film artefacts, plenty of grain (and not just on the desert floor either), faded colours, some problems with shadow detail, and even some shimmer on a car’s chrome grill. It is almost pointless to be overly analytical and technical about this release. Most of the shorts were filmed on what we would call primitive equipment, but the results are quite remarkable. None of the shorts are anywhere near as bad as you might expect, and are quite sharp compared to some footage of a similar vintage. It is fair to say that the unavoidable aged look of the shorts is half the appeal.
There is one real whinge though. Why, oh why, though, did the layer change have to be placed in the middle of Where Dead Men Lie? Surely it wouldn’t have been too hard to place it between films?
