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Theatre/Dramatic Arts (1/3)
Plays and playwrights, acting and actors, and other aspects of the dramatic arts, in Australia and internationally, including biographical studies of writers, observational films about professional and amateur rehearsals and performances, and the participation of people with disabilities in theatre.
AUSTRALIAN FILM 1900-1977: A guide to feature film production (book)
(G)
A book by Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper *Oxford University Press 1998 (second edition) *Paperback * 362 pages including index. A comprehensive guide to the feature films of the first eight decades of filmmaking in Australia. more
BATTLE OF THE SITES
2013 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 111 min
A "melodrama" written by Ian Warden, using actual historic texts, exploring the vehement disputes surrounding the choosing of the site for the National Capital. The play was filmed live in a performance at the historic St John's Church, Reid, as part of Canberra's Centenary celebrations in 2013. more
BAULKHAM HILLS AFRICAN LADIES TROUPE, THE
2016 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: M) 81 min
The story of four charismatic and inspirational African women, now living in Australia, who, with the help of acclaimed theatre director Ros Horin, turned their harrowing stories of survival into a joyous theatre of humanity that has filled theatres from across their new country to the other side of the world. more
BOOT CAKE, THE
2009 (G) 74 min
A small desert town on the edge of western India's famous salt plains is the unlikely home of the world's largest population of Charlie Chaplin impersonators. The Charlie Circle of Adipur embraces businessmen, shopkeepers, a doctor who prescribes Chaplin movies for medicinal purposes, teachers, engineers, students and... more
BRAN NUE DAE
1991 (PG) 55 min
This documentary traces the development and production of the successful stage musical, Bran Nue Dae. The writer of the play, Jimmy Chi, talks about how his experiences and education led to his writing of the semi-autobiographical musical. Selections from the musical are intercut with interviews and historical footage. more
CHINESE TAKE AWAY
2002 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 52 min
CHINESE TAKE AWAY is an adaptation of an acclaimed physical theatre show, uniquely blends poetic storytelling, drama and archival footage, to bring a true story to the screen. more
CREATING A MONSTER
2017 (PG) 20 min
A documentary by Gena Lida Riess exploring the ethics of reality television, how it is constructed and consumed, and the psychological impact that it has on participants. more
DRAMA SCHOOL
2001 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 270 min
A NINE PART SERIES ON LIFE INSIDE AUSTRALIA'S MOST FAMOUS ACTING SCHOOL - NIDA [National Institute of Dramatic Arts]. more
ELECTRIC SHADOWS: The Story of a Cinema
2009 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 50 min
Electric Shadows: The Story of a Cinema tracks the history of the cinema, through both the good times and the tough times, and looks at the cinema's emergence as something of an icon in the Canberra cultural scene. INCLUDES EXTRA FEATURES. more
GEOFFREY RUSH: The Imp, the Spirit, the Hero - playing David Helfgott in SHINE
2016 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 28 min
A delightful short film, made for the 20th anniversary of the release of SHINE. Prior to the production of SHINE in 1996, Geoffrey Rush was a renowned theatre actor in Australia but had had little involvement in film. SHINE transformed his career, especially when he won the Oscar for Best Actor. more
HISTORY BITES BACK
2021 (MA) 55 min
After the bold and brilliant Occupation: Native, Aboriginal filmmaker Trisha Morton-Thomas teams up again with Comedy Director-Writer, Craig Anderson to launch a rocket into 250 years of taboos, prejudice and ignorance. History Bites Back uses devastating satire to unpack the negative social bias of the history shared... more
HOW TO RUN A SCHOOL CONCERT
2013 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 102 min
Behind the scenes of a school concert where the division between audience and performers is non-existent. Presented by the Music Engagement Program of the School of Music, Australian National University. more
JUDITH ANDERSON - AUSTRALIAN STAR, FIRST LADY OF THE AMERICAN THEATRE
2019 (G)
A book by Desley Deacon. Paperback, 461 pages plus chronology, filmography, bibliography and index. Kerr Publishing, Melbourne, 2019. This well-researched biography tells the story of Judith Anderson's life and the full range of her work on stage and screen. more
KILLING PRISCILLA
1999 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 55 min
A filmmaker with three films to his name, including one huge hit and one enormous flop, attempts to get his career back on track and direct a stylish thriller in this behind-the-scenes documentary by costume designer Lizzy Gardiner. more
KINGS OF BAXTER
2017 (M) 66 min
A rare insight into life behind bars for juvenile inmates in one of the country's largest juvenile justice centres: two actors from the Bell Shakespeare company engage with young offenders in an attempt to stage a performance of Shakespeare's Macbeth for their families and fellow inmates. more
LEAPING OFF THE EDGE
2001 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 26 min
A documentary about Melbourne's Women's Circus, a theatrical experience that has been inspiring, exciting and empowering audiences for over a decade. more
MAKING VENUS
2002 (MA) 70 min
MAKING VENUS is an hilarious and revealing portrait of the terrors and excitement of making a low-budget feature film, from fundraising to final test screenings. more
MUCH ADO ABOUT SOMETHING
2003 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 93 min
Was William Shakespeare truly the greatest English author, or does that honour really belong to Christopher Marlowe, a peer of the great bard who penned a number of popular plays during the late 1500s? This documentary plunges deep into the mystery surrounding the authorship of the plays and Marlowe's supposed murder. more
NOTHING RHYMES WITH NGAPARTJI
2010 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 56 min
Acclaimed Pitjantjatjara actor, Trevor Jamieson, sets out on a daunting personal journey to bring his hit show home to country ... but can he bridge these two worlds, two languages and two cultures? more
PRISON SONGS
2015 (M) 56 min
The inmates of a Darwin prison are shown in a new light in Australia's first documentary musical. Incarcerated in tropical Northern Territory, over 800 inmates squeeze into the overcrowded spaces of Berrimah Prison, and share their experiences in the most extraordinary way – through song. more