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Australia is the largest, flattest, driest island in the
world, which has been surrounded by the oceans for forty million years;
however, away from its fertile coasts, rain clouds seldom penetrate. It is a
continent apart, where evolution has worked in isolation, and most of its
inhabitants can be found nowhere else on earth. With spectacular photography
this documentary takes us through the different regions of Australia to view
the breadth of the landscape and the intimate lives of its unique animals,
including the many types of Kangaroo or Wallaby, the Bilby or Bandicoot, the
Saltwater Crocodile, the Koala, the Echidna or Anteater, the Platypus, the
Green Tree Python, Little Red Flying Foxes, and birds such Rosellas,
Lorikeets, Parrots, Cockatoos, Avocets and Pelicans. Produced by ABC
International, Inc. 08DR/CC Closed-Captioned JSCA 52 min. Associated Programs: Australia 1, 2, 3 |
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"Highly Recommended. This is a well-organized documentary
that captures Australia's Great Barrier Reef through the eyes of individuals
who have a unique connection to the reef and its inhabitants. The
photography is excellent and offers viewers a unique, one-of-a-kind
experience with the barrier reefs and the marine life that inhabit the sea;
the second best view of the reef short of actually finding scuba gear and
jumping into the water. The program's biggest strength is the excellent
balance between live reef footage and dialogue; this style allows the viewer
to hear the ideas and concerns of the individuals while actually seeing
examples of what they are talking about." -EMRO Review Associated Article: 28 Places to See Before You Die -Smithsonian Magazine Australia's Great Barrier Reef is an environmental jewel; a complex, spectacular network of plants and animals, it is a living, breathing underwater work of art. Should the importance of environmental conservation ever be questioned, the vision of the reef silences all argument; however, it sits on valuable oil reserves and has become the target of an oil industry desperate for new drilling sites. This beautifully produced investigative film highlights the urgent need to guard the Great Barrier Reef from the threat of oil exploitation. Produced by ABC Australia. 08DR JSCA 52 min. Associated Program: Australia 2: The Outback and the Great Barrier Reef |
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"Highly Recommended! The central point of this
documentary of a year in the field is the difficult, sometimes tedious,
often dangerous, and incredibly time-consuming process of capturing wildlife
on film. The pace and scenes follow the daily life of a year long working
safari. Many shots are candid clips of the normal chatter that accompanies
the extraordinary tasks of adventurers journeying through Australia’s Kakadu
National Park, down the South Alligator River, and into the homeland of the
Aboriginal Gagadju people. Although the tongue-in-cheek title of the film
makes it seem like crocodiles are the main photographic prey, Antilopine
Kangaroos, geese, termite mounds, waterfalls, and birds also make their
appearance. We watch a dingo chase through a flock of geese, and follow baby
goslings as they grow up during the year of filming and then are released
into the wild." -EMRO Review This incredible program is really two stories in one. First, for those who wonder what goes into making a wildlife documentary, this is an intimate, behind-the-scenes' look at a year in the life of a film crew. Rory McGuinness and partner Rebecca Scott, together with their three-year-old daughter, Bella, and camera assistant Matt Cadwallader, set out to film the crocodiles, kangaroos and other creatures of northern Australia's Kakadu National Park. But more than learning the challenging how-tos of making a film from a team of experts, this documentary is also an unforgettable journey into an ancient wilderness, a unique archaeological and ethnological reserve that has been inhabited continuously for more than 40,000 years. Here you travel down the remarkable South Alligator River, encounter tropical extremes, experience enduring landscapes, and visit the homeland of the oldest surviving human culture in the world, the Aboriginal "Gagadju" people. You learn the trick of filming Antilopine Kangaroos, you see termite mounds as big as trees, view Aborigine women catching poisonous snakes in a river, and learn the true story of Australian crocodiles in the wild. Produced by ABC International, Inc. 08DR Closed-Captioned JSCA 52 min. |
| The lure of Uranium, the world's most dangerous mineral, has proved irresistible to successive Australian governments who dismiss the Mirrar people's objections to the Jabiluka mine. Twice Academy Award nominated director, David Bradbury, explores the effects of this cultural devastation on the lives of a people and a land inextricably joined. Produced by Frontline Films. 08DR JSCA 45 min. |