Visual Instincts
Each series explores the works of Australia's contemporary photographers. It also includes 'After Two Hundred Years' which documents the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander life in the late 1980's.The series features talented photographers Fiona Hall, Emmanuel Angelicas, Jon Lewis, Max Pam and Grant Mudford.
Episode 1 - Emmanuel Angelicas
Emmanuel Angelicas was born and raised in Marrickville – a tough neighbourhood. In his photographs we are seeing images formed by the fashion studio and the streets of Marrickville rather than the bush or Bondi. He enforces his style through his sense of composition of centring graphic impact and by a particular detachment from his surroundings.
‘I had a show of my Marrickville work at the Prinz Gallery in Kyoto. It was interesting because the Japanese saw my Marrickville as very exotic and dangerous. My stars of the street they felt were aliens from another planet wheras, for me, Tokyo belongs on another planet.’ - Emmanuel Angelicas
Episode 2 - Jon Lewis
Jon Lewis lives in Sydney and is a Paparazzi with a human face. It is his scrutiny of the bright lights and big city of Sydney that singles him out as an outstanding chronicler of the sharp and of public Australia.
‘If someone labels me a humanist photographer I feel very flattered indeed.’ - Jon Lewis
Episode 3 - Fiona Hall
Fiona Hall is an Australian photographer living in Adelaide. She is essentially a photographic artist who deals with two separate realities. One is the outside world of the beach and land which she handles in large format ‘photo-purism’ and the other the internal world of the mind which she portrays in strange and powerfully-original, flat surface psychodramas.
‘I’m informed everyday by switching on the evening news, by looking at the newspaper, by reading current art magazines, by observing events around me – I think my work reflects this.’ - Fiona Hall
Episode 4 - After Two Hundred Years
After Two Hundred Years documents the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander life in Australia in the late 1980’s.
‘Aboriginal collaboration is evident in the mood of the collection. There is vitality and an exuberance in so many of the images which is absent from other representations. People interact with the photographer with one another, they respond, challenge, laugh and perform for the camera.’ - After Two Hundred Years Project.
Episode 5 - Max Pam
Max Pam was born in Melbourne in 1949. First drawn to Asia by the ideological movements of the 1960’s, Max Pam was 19 when he took the road to Katmandu. Through the following two turbulent decades, he has travelled and photographed main street Asia. Since 1984, Pam has worked on body of New Australian photographs which scrutinises and re-defines life on the move.
‘Finally, it comes back to the question of what does photography mean to me. About 99.9 per cent of photography is about that moment of taking the picture and that means everything to me.’ - Max Pam
Episode 6 - Grant Mudford
Grant Mudford born in 1944, now resides in Los Angeles. His work is large format and is a redefined dedication to formalism and the man-made structure in the American landscape.
‘I have a lot of respect for almost everything. There is a reason why it is here and I try to make no judgements in any of my photographs.’ - Grant Mudford
buy now
reviews
"We welcome the return of the impeccable Who Do You Think You Are?"
"A documentary that confronts, questions and raises many issues:medical ethics,personal choice and funding priorities - but none more so than the rights of the disabled, and of a mother and father."
"… is full of emotion,heartache,frustration and determination."
"… essentially a story of courage"
‘The filmmaker creates a perceptive, multilayered understanding of the young refugees’ experiences’
‘Delightful’
‘It is hard to remain dry-eyed as the schools multicultural soccer team sings Advance Australia Fair in the bus home from a match.'
"... already acknowledged as the world's most exciting visual and physical theatre company...the reason to go and see Stalker is the way they marry jaw dropping spectacle with real purpose."
"This is engaging and entertaining telly that also has something important to say"
"Set in WA, this is one reality series we all should watch."
"Continuing the superb research and empathy that marked the first series as a standout in the often lurid reality TV arena, the show is a valuable record of Australia's diversity and the harrowing and often inspiring stories of how many of our ancestors first arrived and thrived."
"Setting this documentary apart…is the effort it makes to humanise the poachers and explain the circumstances which compels them to hunt."
"A dose of Reality TV without the hype"
"All three groups of fishermen feature in Lobster Tales, an ABC documentary that will change the way you look at these delicious crustaceans forever."
“The great achievement of Lobster Tales, a delightfully oddball WA-made documentary on the lucrative local crayfish industry ... strikes such a lovely balance between the lobsters and fishermen that it’s more like a well-wrought tragi-comedy than a traditional nature doco"
“Even for non-lobster-lovers, this quirky feature provides plenty of interest ... the highlight is the underwater photography by Leighton de Barros which is up-close and stunning."
"shows ordinary people doing extraordinary things ... the program usues the magic of TV to bring an important WA story to life"
“Though it’s not easy to watch a widow finally open up about her murdered husband (nor is it comfortable watching local Iraqis genuinely praise Saddam Hussein), Salam Father is yet another reason why the terms "SBS" and "quality documentary" fit like a hand in glove."
“A sense of reconciliation emerges in the program and there's considerable poignancy as elements of a family torn apart by war, politics and circumstance are reunited…"
“This is the compelling story of a family torn apart by war, envy, corruption and greed and how a quest for answers also helped heal old wounds. It might also help people look beyond the descriptions "refugee" and "asylum seeker" to see the person and their story…A powerful piece of television, made more authentic by Ziusudras' first-hand narration of this tale.”
"This documentary never becomes bogged down in legalese and is a compelling tale of one family's devotion to their son"
"A remarkable story and a clever and affecting piece of storytelling"
"An emotional journey...unflinchingly captured on camera"
Koori queens proudly get out and about in this high-spirited and affirming documentary."
"We get a rare glimpse into the world of indigenous gay men in tonight's Sissy ... an energetic, inventive and occasionally touching Western Australian-made documentary that looks at the lives of three colourful drag queens."
"Considering the double whammy served up by homophobia and racism, Sissy insists on having a good time while handling thought-provoking material."
[Shaun Micallef’s] quest to discover if there is ‘‘greater purpose than being a semi-professional Australian TV personality’’ makes for a funny and watchable journey.
Filled with wit, warmth and revelations, Stairway To Heaven will intrigue even non-believers.
"It's a compelling story and you made a compelling film out of it. Just terrific."
"A fascinating insight into the world of the night"
“Surprising, raunchy, hilarious, crazy! Expect the unexpected!”
"Puppetry most certainly is an art from and some of the performances here will take your breath away"
“I have been directly or indirectly involved in WDYTYA productions in the U.S., Canada and the U.K …I must say that this one [Andrew Denton's episode] of the very best I have seen”
"...it's the most engaging detective series in years"
"... surprising, extraordinary and often moving"
"A compelling, lovely adaption of an excellent British format"
"One of the reliable pleasures of this series is just how great it looks. The production values are always first-class and wherever we are in Australia or the world, you can't quibble with the scenery. Who Do You Think You Are? is about much more than looking pretty, though, blending history and biography to create a package that's accessible, entertaining and educational. (FOUR STARS)"
“It's the perfect mix of history and celebrity..."
"... this program has about it a quiet authenticity that allows the subject’s story to unfold of its own accord."
"The series is more than a peek into the backgrounds of the famous; it also chronicles the social and cultural evolution of our national identities via these celeb family histories. 4/5 stars"
"Each episode is essentially a feature documentary, well-researched and produced, and presented usually with a humorous or deeply emotional touch... This show is seriously habit-forming"
This series is fascinating and so well done...
(pick of the week)
"... explores the family histories of its subjects with class and humour. Verdict: A Hit."