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KARAM IN JAIPUR
2001 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 54 min
This third film in the Doon School Quintet follows the main protagonist of With Morning Hearts into the next phase of his life in Jaipur House, one of the five main houses of the school. more
KEEN AS MUSTARD
1989 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 46 min
Re-release of an important documentary that explores little known experiments in chemical warfare conducted in Australia from 1942 to 1945. more
KIM & HARLEY & THE KIDS (Family Foibles)
2001 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: M) 27 min
Kim and Harley and the Kids looks at how hard family life can be when resources are limited. Kim has four children including four-year-old twins. Her partner Harley is father to the youngest three kids and his heart is in the right place. They all live below the poverty line in a Ministry of Housing home in outer Melbourne. more
KORIAM'S LAW and the Dead Who Govern
2006 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 110 min
In Koriam's Law Australian anthropologist Andrew Lattas meets his match in philosopher-informant Peter Avarea of Matong village, Pomio, Papua New Guinea. Driven by their feisty dialogue and with access to sacred ceremonies, the film patiently goes about making sense of that mysterious Pacific phenomenon, the "cargo-cult". more
KULKA: The Life and Times of Gordon Briscoe
2010 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 52 min
The inspirational story of Dr. Gordon Briscoe's life - from his work with legendary eye doctor Fred Hollows, to his days as an activist travelling Australia and telling traditional land owners about their land rights, and everything in between. more
LAKE OF SCARS, THE
2022 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 95 min
A documentary exploring the beautiful, mysterious scarred trees, middens and stone scatters at Lake Boort and surrounds in Victoria, and the story of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people, who are working against the clock to preserve and promote what they can. A film presented by the late, great Uncle Jack Charles, more
LAND OF THE LITTLE KINGS
2000 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 78 min
LAND OF THE LITTLE KINGS is a feature-length documentary which provides personal accounts of the forcible removal of Indigenous children from their families. Through these stories of survivors of the stolen generations, musician and performer Archie Roach reconstructs his own story. more
LAST WRIGHT, THE
2008 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 52 min
An award-winning film about the architect Frank Lloyd Wright and the story of the last hotel he designed. In Mason City, Iowa, Wright was commissioned to design a city block encompassing a bank and hotel facing the city park. Soon scandal and tragedy ruined his career but the Park Inn Hotel still stands as one of his... more
LEAST SAID, SOONEST MENDED
1999 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 52 min
The story of the filmmaker's twin sister: despatched at the age of 15 to an institution where she was hidden away and arrangements made for the adoption of her baby. She then lived for the next 25 years without knowing where her child was or whether she was alive or dead. more
LIFE IS A VERY STRANGE THING (English language version)
2018 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 80 min
Frédéric, a former high school rebel, ethnomusicologist, and multinational executive, returns from decades abroad, to a France that is both familiar and on edge. A quirky and moving portrait by outsiders, exploring what it is to be French in the 21st century. A delightful film by Les McLaren and Annie Stiven. more
LIFE IS A VERY STRANGE THING (French language version)
2018 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 80 min
Frédéric, a former high school rebel, ethnomusicologist, and multinational executive, returns from decades abroad, to a France that is both familiar and on edge. A quirky and moving portrait by outsiders, exploring what it is to be French in the 21st century. more
LIFE OF THE TOWN
2009 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 390 min
13 half hour episodes detailing the happy, sad, funny and dramatic endeavours of a community of battlers united through footy. Narrated by Dale Kickett, LIFE OF THE TOWN is a homage to grass roots football and is a window into the lives of the men, women and children who are passionate about their community. more
LIGHTING A CANDLE
2010 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 56 min
Dr Catherine Hamlin's 50 year journey for the destitute women of Ethiopia. EXTRA FEATURES include 3 additional short films: A COMPASSIONATE VISION, HEAVEN SENT and LABOUR OF LOVE. more
LILI (English version)
2019 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 85 min
LILI is a powerful exploration of inter-generational trauma; a mother, Lili, abandons her two-year-old daughter as she flees from Hungary in 1956 when the Soviets quash the Hungarian revolution. The trauma sparks a history of abandonment that spans four generations of Lili's family. more
LINK-UP DIARY [from the AIATSIS Collection]
1987 (G) 87 min
On the road with Link-up, an organisation that re-unites Aboriginal families more
LITTLE TOWNS, BIG VOICES
2016 (M) 28 min
Taking a stand on domestic violence in regional, rural and remote communities: in this powerful short film by Fran Dobbie, this often hidden subject is brought to light by people willing to speak out about abuse to help create social change. more
LOCKHART FESTIVAL [from the AIATSIS Collection]
1974 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 33 min
A classic documentary about an Aboriginal dance festival organised by the Lockhart River community in far north Queensland. more
LONG GOODBYE, THE
2010 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 55 min
THE LONG GOODBYE follows the journeys of three families living with dementia as they struggle to maintain the identity and dignity of those they love. Filmed over a 3 year period, the documentary celebrates the capacity of the human spirit to search for meaning and hope when the end is known and inescapable. more
LORE OF LOVE, THE [from the CAAMA Collection]
2005 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 25 min
An 18 year old Aboriginal girl learns the lore of love from her outgoing and mischievous grandmothers. more
LOUSY LITTLE SIXPENCE
1983 (G) 54 min
DIGITALLY RESTORED! In NSW, in 1909, the Aborigines Protection Board planned to break up Aboriginal communities by forcibly removing their children and hiring them out as servants to white employers. The title of this powerful documentary comes from the wages that were to be paid to the children. Many never saw that lousy... more
LURUJARRI DREAMING
2013 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 28 min
An animated exploration of Goolarabooloo history and culture, focusing on a nine-day Lurujarri Heritage Trail walk led by Elders from the community, north from Broome along the Dampier Peninsula in north-western Australia. more
MAGIC HARVEST
2011 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 26 min
Feeding the world's ever-expanding population is a growing global concern. Where is the land that once grew food? It's at your own back door! This documentary tells the story of a backyard revolution - new food-growing gardens, one square metre at a time. 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
MALBANGKA COUNTRY [from the AIATSIS Collection]
1975 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 29 min
The Malbangka family leaves the social problems of Hermannsburg in central Australia to return to their own traditional land and set up their own independent settlement. more
MAN ON THE RIM - DVD 1
1989 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 224 min
An 11 part film series which was first released in 1989 and represents one of the major achievements in the field of pre-history, archeology and anthropology. DVD 1 consists of 4 episodes: First Footsteps | Hunters & Gatherers | Into the Deep Freeze | Flaming Arrows. more
MAN ON THE RIM - DVD 2
1989 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 224 min
An 11 part film series which was first released in 1989 and represents one of the major achievements in the field of pre-history, archeology and anthropology. DVD 2 consists of 4 episodes: Changing the Menu | The Cutting Edge | The Powerhouse | Pure & Simple. more
MAN ON THE RIM - DVD 3
1989 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 168 min
An 11 part film series which was first released in 1989 and represents one of the major achievements in the field of pre-history, archeology and anthropology. DVD 3 consists of 3 episodes: Roads Without Wheels | The Feathered Serpent | The Last Horizon. more
MAN WITHOUT PIGS
1990 (G) 59 min
MAN WITHOUT PIGS offers a rare insight into the dynamics of village life in Papua New Guinea. The film explores the antagonism aroused when conflict between traditional custom and Western values occurs in an isolated community. more
ME & YOU (NIDF series 5)
2002 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 26 min
ME AND YOU follows Frank and Leanna Shoveller, a father and daughter, who reveal their music recording and family bonds. They travel from Halls Creek through Broome to Mijil Mil Mia on a visit to their family's traditional country. more
MEMOIRS OF A PLAGUE
2010 (G) 77 min
The war against locusts is as old as human civilisation. Filmmaker Rob Nugent examines the complexity of the dramatic interactions between man and locust. more
MEMORY TREE
2003 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 52 min
THE CONTROVERSIAL ART OF DAVID BOYD: MEMORY TREE has rare insights into the nature of enduring creativity and the power of the imagination. It tells of the passionate life journey of one of Australia's great living artists whose real stature has not always been recognised in the art world. more
MERREPEN [from the CAAMA Collection]
2005 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 23 min
The Merrepen palm tree is one of many plants that provide a life source for the people of the Daly River region in the top end of the Northern Territory. In this landscape lavished with natural beauty, we discover the many uses of the Merrepen Palm as well as some unforgettable characters. more
MESSAGE FROM MUNGO
2014 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 70 min
WINNER! UNITED NATIONS ASSOCIATION OF VICTORIA MEDIA AWARDS in the Category of "Promotion of Indigenous Recognition". The story of the interaction between Scientists and the Custodians of Indigenous Heritage at Lake Mungo, one of the world's richest archaeological sites. more
MIDWIVES, LULLABIES AND MOTHER EARTH
1993 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 53 min
Pioneer advocate of natural childbirth, Michel Odent is a French doctor who believes that separating the mother and baby at birth has a profound significance for them both and for society as a whole. Odent believes that "if we can transform the birth, we can transform the world". more
MIRACLE OF THE LITTLE PRINCE, THE
2018 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 90 min
The story of how communities are keeping endangered languages alive with the help of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's Little Prince – from North Africa to Tibet, and the Arctic circle to Latin America. A feature documentary by Dutch filmmaker, Marjoleine Boonstra. more
MOHAMED ALI'S HAPPY DAY FEAST
1998 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 55 min
Mohamed Ali and his wife, Halima Mubarak, are the owners of the Dhodaan Café, Flemington, a meeting place for the Somali refugee community in Melbourne. Having survived war in Ethiopia and Somalia, but suffered the loss of home and family, Mohamed and Halima arrive in Australia with a renewed optimism, and set about establishing... more
MORE THAN A FISH KILL
2024 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 38 min
Two beloved rivers and more than 30 million dead fish bring artists, scientists and First Nations custodians together to turn ecological disasters into a journey of cultural healing. more
MORESBY MODERN
2009 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 52 min
PNG is slowly joining the globalised world, and if you look closely at this society in transition you can see signs of a modest middle class on the rise, and a new generation coming of age. more
MORNING SUN
2004 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 117 min
A brilliant portrait of China's "Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution" of the 1960s and 70s. Another extraordinary film from the team that made the award-winning THE GATE OF HEAVENLY PEACE. 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
MURIEL MATTERS
2013 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 27 min
Adelaide-born actress and elocutionist Muriel Matters has been neglected by mainstream history, but in the early 1900s was a pivotal figure in the fight for women's rights in Britain and was renowned for her daring escapades to draw attention to the cause. more
MUSIC CENTRAL
2023 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 27 min
MUSIC CENTRAL explores the power of music to create connection and healing. Filmed on the Central Coast of New South Wales, this documentary follows the stories of local Elder Uncle Kevin 'Gavi' Duncan, the staff and students at Woy Woy Public School, young singer-songwriter Ruby Archer and the Artistic Director of the... more
MY GRANDPARENTS
2012 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 26 min
A cross-generational documentary in which filmmaker Joshua Marks sets out to find out more about his grandparents. The film is, as Joshua describes it, "a journey of awareness in front of and behind the camera. Gradually, we ask who is the real subject of the film, and who is really in control?" more
MY NAME IS GULPILIL
2021 (M) 101 min
"I'm an actor, I'm a dancer, I'm a singer and also, a painter. This film is about me. This is my story of my story." - David Gulpilil Ridjimiraril Dalaithngu more
NEW BEIJING
2009 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 52 min
Swinging from old to new, this documentary gives a panoramic view of the biggest construction boom in history and charts the modern face of Beijing and its newly iconic buildings. [DVD includes over an hour of extra features including extended interviews with participating architects]. more
NEW BOYS, THE
2003 (G) 100 min
THE NEW BOYS provides a comparison to the group viewed in With Morning Hearts, for these boys appear more divided and class-conscious. Within the group there is a range of personalities and backgrounds - some are natural leaders, some subject to teasing and bullying, some argumentative and some peace-makers. more
NGANGKARI (NIDF series 5)
2002 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 26 min
The role of Ngangkari, Traditional Healer, still plays a vital role in the health and well-being of the Anangu people of Central Australia. Yet only two Ngangkari are employed in full-time positions. This film introduces these two renowned Ngangkari specialists. more
NICE COLOURED GIRLS
1987 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: M) 17 min
NOW DIGITALLY RE-MASTERED! This stylistically daring film audaciously explores the history of exploitation between white men and Aboriginal women, juxtaposing the 'first encounter' between colonisers and native women with the attempts of modern urban Aboriginal women to reverse their fortunes. more
NIGHT CRIES
1990 (G) 17 min
DIGITALLY REMASTERED! NIGHT CRIES – a story of a white woman and her adopted Aboriginal daughter, told with vibrantly coloured landscapes and a richly constructed soundscape. The film is in part a response by visual artist Tracey Moffatt to Charles Chauvel's celebrated feature film, JEDDA (1955). more
NIGHT THE PROWLER, THE
1978/2021 (M) 85 min
A wickedly funny and subversive collaboration between Nobel Prize-winning author Patrick White and one of Australia's most adventurous film directors, Jim Sharman (director of The Rocky Horror Picture Show). more
NORTH OF CAPRICORN
2014 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 54 min
"Northern Australia is a profoundly important part of Australia. It's a third of Australia that's in the tropics. It the part of Australia least developed, it's very rich in resources, and its the part of Australia closest to our neighbours," Professor Henry Reynolds. more
NORTHERN LIGHTS
2013 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 52 min
Behind the scenes of a successful programme to promote Indigenous participation in AFL, led by Indigenous football legends, Andrew McLeod and Michael Long. It's the story of NT Thunder, a new team with 60% Indigenous players, and a new philosophy of community engagement. more
NOT A BEDROOM WAR
1992 (G) 52 min
In 1992, four hundred of the world's most prominent women met in Dublin to discuss new visions of leadership. Hosted by Mary Robinson, Ireland's first woman president, NOT A BEDROOM WAR is the behind-the-scenes story of this historic and extraordinary gathering. more
NOT JUST NUMBERS
2019 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 53 min
Not Just Numbers is an inspiring documentary about the Tangentyere Women's Family Safety Group in Alice Springs. They believe in talking straight about the violence in their communities and are working on the front line in prevention. So often reduced to statistics, these heroes have banded together to fight for their... more
NUN'S NEW HABIT, A
2008 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 56 min
This documentary follows Sister Carmel, a sister of the Good Samaritans, in her fight for social justice. Along with many of her contemporaries, she is passionately involved with the plight of refugees who were incarcerated in detention for many years and the ongoing psychological trauma suffered after their release. more
ON RICHARD'S SIDE
2016 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 90 min
Filmed over three decades, On Richard's Side charts the life-story of Richard, a young man with a complex disability since birth. The film provides intimate and poignant insights into his parents' determined quest to establish a quality life for their son and for themselves. more
ON THE EDGE
2010 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 338 min
Over a two month period, a group of Indigenous teenagers take a physical, emotional and spiritual journey to discover who they are. It's an emotional roller-coaster ride with the group dynamics that constantly change. Featuring the work of mentor Fran Dobbie. more
ONCE A QUEEN
2005 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 50 min
A universal story of a rural community with big aspirations ... Grafton in the Northern Rivers area of New South Wales, and its inspired annual celebration of its rich history. more
ONCE MY MOTHER
2013 (PG) 75 min
Australian filmmaker Sophia Turkiewicz investigates the reasons why her Polish mother abandoned her in an orphanage as a child and uncovers the truth behind her mother's wartime escape from a Siberian gulag, leaving Sophia to confront her own capacity for forgiveness. more
ONE LAST CHANCE
2000 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 36 min
An award-winning film about justice and morality, by Rod Freedman (producer of ONCE MY MOTHER). more
ONE PLACE
2008 (G) 27 min
An inspiring film about a unique Islamic Cultural Centre: a place of worship and of study, a library and a centre of learning, it is also a building where families gather, an integral part of a community that speaks more than thirty languages, comes from more than forty countries and shares a single faith. more
OONDOORRD: Married Turtle [from the CAAMA Collection]
2009 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 22 min
The hunt for the special Oondoorrd or female turtle in the mating season, in the ocean off the West Kimberley region of Western Australia. more
OUR BOTANICAL BIOSPHERE
1990 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 240 min
This pioneering series of short documentaries, first released as UNDER SOUTHERN SKIES in 1990, is even more relevant today: there is now an ever-increasing urgency for us all to be informed about science, to liberate us from a dependence on politicians and corporations. more
OUR COMMUNITY
2006 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 24 min
An exploration of the concept of 'community' in the far northwest of NSW - an intimate expedition through the townships of WALGETT, LIGHTNING RIDGE and SHEEPYARD. more
OUR PARK
1998 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 52 min
OUR PARK was meant to be a nice quiet film about the filmmaker's local park but the it took an unexpected turn and became a film about the politics of a neighbourhood and the difficulties of grass roots democracy - how people interact, how they solve disputes - or how they don't. more
OUT OF OUR MINDS
2001 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 52 min
OUT OF OUR MINDS explores the interlocking stories of Mark Dean, Rita Halabarek and Sonia Teuben. They are full-time professional actors and writers with Geelong's Back to Back Theatre, each of them are people with intellectual disabilities. more
OVER THE EDGE
2015 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 56 min
Teenagers in the series ON THE EDGE reunite 5 years later as young adults facing a turbulent world. This film explores how their choices have determined their present circumstances. Some are working, some in jail, and three are parents. Every one of them is living an extraordinary life and coming to terms with their world. more
PANTHER WITHIN, THE
2016 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 54 min
Filmmaker Edoardo Crismani and his mother Barbara embark on a search to unravel the mystery surrounding Barbara's father, Joe Murray, an Indigenous boxing champion who danced and sang in vaudeville shows, and married a blue-eyed blonde white woman in 1930s Australia. more
PAPER TRAIL: The Life and Times of a Woodchip
1991 (G) 51 min
In Australia, woodchipping has become one of the most politically significant issues of the environmental movement. Australia is a major supplier of woodchips to the paper manufacturers of Japan. As a consequence, the woodchip trade is now high on the political agenda, powerful enough to bring down governments. more
PASSIONATE APPRENTICES, THE
2008 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 75 min
Three intimate portraits of a close-knit group of inspiring people who share a passion for perfection. These three artisans and their apprentices live and work in a quiet valley in Tasmania, in the shadow of Sleeping Beauty Mountain. more
PASSPORT TO PARENTHOOD
2004 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 56 min
When Melbourne couple Davor Dirlic and his wife Nina decide to adopt Petra, whilst visiting their homeland Croatia, they embark on an emotional rollercoaster that will uncover a tragic past. more
PEACE PILGRIMS
2021 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 28 min
In September 2015, five peace activists penetrated the 'Joint Facility' Pine Gap, just outside Alice Springs to protest and lament victims of American drone strikes. They were arrested and faced 7 years jail. A documentary by John Hughes, based on Peace Crimes, Kieran Finnane (UQP 2020) more
PICTURING HOME
2021 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 52 min
After twenty years of homelessness one woman finds empowerment by sharing her journey through the lens of a camera. A powerful film by Annette Cohen, exploring links between mental health concerns and homelessness. more
PIONEERS OF LOVE
2005 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 110 min
An epic story of Immigrant and Indigenous experiences in far north Queensland spanning across the 20th century. more
PORTRAITS OF US
2022 (PG) 82 min
An intimate portrait of the life and work of iconoclastic New Zealand artist Geoff Dixon. See GEOFF DIXON - PORTRAITS OF US: more
POZIERES
2000 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: M) 52 min
Between July and August, 1916, the small village of Pozieres in northern France became the centre of one of the bloodiest battles of the Great War. By the end of August the village had been destroyed. The battles to reclaim the territory for the French nation were to become legendary. 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
PUMPHEAD
2020 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 74 min
Pumphead is a feature-length documentary exploring patient experiences following major heart surgery - how to understand these experiences and how to live with them. A story of existential crises and transformative experiences, told by eight ex-patients including the filmmaker himself. more
PUTUPARRI and the Rainmakers
2015 (M) 97 min
Against the backdrop of Australia's tangled colonial and Indigenous history, Putuparri and the Rainmakers explores one man's struggle to fulfill his destiny. more
PYONGYANG DIARIES
1997 (PG) 68 min
PYONGYANG DIARIES is director Solrun Hoaas' personal account of her encounter with the closed society of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. While the official line in North Korea fosters an almost religious cult of personality, with an emphasis on uniformity, nationalism, and a sense of self-reliance, Hoaas' observations,... more
RADICAL IDEAS IN JUSTICE AND REGULATION
2014 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 191 min
An extended interview with John Braithwaite - from the Regulatory Institutions Network Australian National University, Canberra, Australia - about Restorative Justice and Responsive Regulation. more
REDFERN STORY, THE
2014 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 57 min
In Redfern, in inner Sydney, a group of determined visionaries pioneered the National Black Theatre at a turbulent time for Indigenous politics in the 1970s. The Theatre left a lasting legacy on national politics, social welfare and the Australian arts scene. more
RINGBALIN - BREAKING THE DROUGHT
2014 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 32 min
A powerful documentary about the healing of Australia's greatest river and its diverse peoples through ancient ceremony of culture and spirit. more
RINGTONE
2016 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 30 min
In the Yolngu community of Gapuwiyak in the Northern Territory, individual ringtones on mobiles reveal rich insights into lives and relationships. Ringtone features individuals talking directly to camera, revealing the stories behind their own ringtones as well as the pleasures and perils of their new connectivity. more
RIVER OF NO RETURN
2008 (PG) 52 min
The story of Frances Daingangan, one of the stars of TEN CANOES, and her journey from traditional tribal life to the international red carpet. A film written and directed by Darlene Johnson, one of Australia's leading Indigenous documentary filmmakers, acclaimed for GULPILIL – ONE RED BLOOD and STOLEN GENERATIONS. more
ROCKING THE FOUNDATIONS
1985 (PG) 92 min
DIGITALLY RESTORED! A riveting documentary about the New South Wales Builders Labourers Federation (BLF). Filmmaker Pat Fiske, herself one of the first women members of the BLF, develops a portrait of this once-powerful union through interviews with former union members and officials, archival film, and television news... more
ROSALIE'S JOURNEY [from the CAAMA Collection]
2003 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 22 min
The story of Rosalie Kunoth-Monks who (as Ngarla Kunoth) gained fame in the leading role of Charles Chauvel's legendary feature film, JEDDA (1955). more
RUNNING WITH CRUTCHES (original title: ShoPaaPaa)
2020 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 96 min
Cinematically bold and intellectually mesmerising, Running With Crutches is an exploration of the line between drama and documentary in the worst of times and the best of times. A film by Shekhar Bassi and Molly Reynolds. more
SAMMY BUTCHER: Out of the Shadows [from the CAAMA Collection]
2004 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 24 min
A portrait of Sammy Butcher [Warumpi Band], one of the leading figures in the contemporary Indigenous music scene. more
SAVE OUR SONS (S.O.S.)
1996 (PG) 54 min
A film about the Save Our Sons Movement of Victoria - a group of women formed in the sixties to protest against the Vietnam War. Energetic and informative, an extraordinary episode in the anti-conscription and anti-Vietnam War struggles of the 1960s. more
SCHOOLSCAPES
2007 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 77 min
In this film David MacDougall explores a famous progressive school in South India, the Rishi Valley School. Inspired by the cinema of Lumière and the ideas of the 20th century Indian thinker Krishnamurti, this film is dedicated to the simple act of looking, in which each scene is a single shot. more
SCRIBE, THE
2018 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 71 min
From deep within the engine room of politics comes this superb documentary on the "Donald Bradman" of speech-writers - Graham Freudenberg: a powerful journey into one of the great minds of politics who has written speeches for Labor leaders over many decades, including Gough Whitlam and Bob Hawke. more
SELLING SICKNESS
2004 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 52 min
SELLING SICKNESS explores the unhealthy relationships between society, medical science and the pharmaceutical industry as they promote their new miracle cures - selling not just drugs but also the latest diseases that go with them. more
SENSE OF PLACE, A
2007 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 28 min
An intimate portrait of four Vietnamese Australians who, for the past 30 years, have searched to build their identity and home in Australia. more
SENSO DAUGHTERS
1990 (PG) 55 min
During World War II, 140,000 Japanese troops died in Papua New Guinea. Considered the 'Forgotten War,' neither the war nor its veterans received public recognition in Japan. Another unacknowledged tragedy of that campaign was the army's mistreatment of New Guinean women and 'comfort girls'. Over 90,000 'comfort girls' were... more
SERIOUS UNDERTAKINGS
1983 (G) 28 min
A fascinating film about Australian culture, politics, film and pleasure, and the context in which images of femininity and masculinity are produced. more
SERIOUSLY SINGING
2011 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 26 min
At a small school in the Victorian Mallee, indefatigable 91 year-old choral conductor, the late Jessie Carmichael, works with a group of novice singers to revisit a legendary moment in local history. more
SERPENT AND THE CROSS, THE
1991 (G) 55 min
In several outback Australian communities Aboriginal artists are consciously seeking an expression that builds bridges between Aboriginal spirituality (the Dreaming) and the Christian religion of their invaders. A look at these artists' thinking and dreaming which provides a rich, privileged look at the artwork, beautifully... more
SEX, DRUGS AND STRING QUARTETS
2003 (M) 27 min
The Landau String Quartet comes together to rehearse. Each player has travelled a very different path to become a musician. In this dramatised documentary, the musicians reveal the story of that journey. more
SHADOW PANIC
1989/2020 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 25 min
The feminist classic from 1989, now restored from original 16mm film materials. An innovative film by Margot Nash (director of VACANT POSSESSION and THE SILENCES) based on "the idea of structuring a film via the female gaze". more
SHADOW PLAY
2001 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: M) 79 min
In Indonesia, on 30 September 1965 a group of President Sukarno's guards murdered six generals who were anti-Communist. General Suharto blamed the Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI). Suharto grabbed power and set up death squads to murder up to a million accused Communist sympathisers. The documentary traces the events... more
SHAKE RATTLE & ROLL
2005 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 52 min
A journey with Parkinson's - Ross Collins is on a journey. At the age of thirty three, he was diagnosed with Parkinson's. Now he wants to be like the man he was. An in-depth look at the toll and impact this disease has on one sufferer. more
SHOCK ROOM
2016 (M) 72 min
In the early 1960s American psychologist Stanley Milgram ran a series of controversial experiments on obedience. An authority orders you to inflict painful shocks on another person. Most us will obey, claimed Milgram. But will we? more
SHORT STORIES
2006 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 104 min
Filmed over two years, SHORT STORIES is a 4x26 minute documentary series [on 1 DVD] about a group of short statured people who are part of a small community in Sydney's working class western suburbs. more
SIGNED, THEO SCHOON
2021 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 100 min
A superb portrait of the Dutch émigré artist, Theo Schoon (1915 – 1985), raised in the East, trained in the West, and replanted in the South. He rocked the New Zealand cultural world and built a strong liaison with Māori communities and the landscape. more
SILENCES, THE
2015 (M) 73 min
A film about family secrets and the ties of love, loss and kinship between a mother and daughter. more
SINCE THE COMPANY CAME
2000 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 52 min
A Solomon Islands community struggles with some unexpected consequences of a logging operation. The men of Rendova Island embrace the chance to be part of the modern economy; but the women are concerned for the forests and traditions that sustain their families. As Rendova's forest rapidly disappears, the loggers set their... more
SIX DAYS IN AUGUST
2006 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 52 min
This documentary juxtaposes an international AIDS Conference with the realities of "life on the ground" in South Africa. In the city of Durban, 1 in 3 people are infected with AIDS, the government's solution is to urge its people to eat beetroot and garlic, and most people just wish the problem would go away on its own. more
SKIN OF OTHERS, THE
2020 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 91 min
A story of modern Australia told through the extraordinary life of Aboriginal WW1 soldier Douglas Grant (c.1885-1951), an intellectual, a journalist, a soldier and a bagpipe player with a fine Scottish accent. Featuring the acclaimed Indigenous actor Balang Tom E. Lewis in his final performance (as Douglas Grant) and guest... more
SMARTER COUNTRY, A - creating the future
2014 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 55 min
As Australia struggles with the harsh effects of climate change, green pioneers and visionaries are working towards an ecologically sustainable future in agriculture, architecture, renewable energy, and how we live on our planet - both here and in America, China and in developing countries. more
SOMETHING CLOSE TO HELL
1989 (M) 55 min
The pain of severe burn is said to be greater than that of any other injury. SOMETHING CLOSE TO HELL explores the stuggle of burns survivors during their physical and emotional recovery. more
STONE COUNTRY
2006 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 26 min
Stone Country is a snapshot of a remote Indigenous community of Ngukurr in northern Australia. more
STRONG MEN OF NGUIU
2007 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 24 min
Nguiu (known as Wurrumiyanga today) is a community on Bathurst Island, Northern Territory. There the "strong men" have been striving to restore cultural traditions among the youth on the island. Leading by example, they are steering the next generation away from substance abuse and crime to become leaders of tomorrow. more
SYDNEY AT WAR
2005 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 52 min
At midnight on Sun May 31, 1942, three Japanese midget submarines broke through Sydney Harbour's defences and launched a surprise attack on an ill-prepared city. During that night of confusion and violence, 21 Australian and 6 Japanese service personnel lost their lives. Sydney At War recounts the events of that fateful... more
TAGGED
2006 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 59 min
TAGGED is the story of four young people growing up in Sydney's notorious south-western suburbs. Reacting against the negative portrayal of young people from their area in the mainstream press, they talk about the things they love in their community, especially its diversity, its familiarity and its youthful energy. more
TAKING PICTURES
1996 (G) 56 min
Taking Pictures focuses on several Australian film makers and the internationally renowned documentaries they made in Papua New Guinea in the 1970s-90s. Juxtaposing clips of the films with interviews of the filmmakers, it reflects upon the Western tradition of inquiring into and recording other people's lives, raising questions... more
TALES FROM THE DALY - Nauiyu Nambiyu [from the CAAMA Collection]
2010 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 20 min
A journey into the stories and spectacular landscapes of the Daly River region in the north-west of the Northern Territory. more
TEA WITH MADAME CLOS
2010 (G) 90 min
TEA WITH MADAME CLOS is about an extraordinary woman in her extreme old age living in a small medieval village in South West France. Couched in the framework of a train journey, the filmmaker, Jane Oehr, remembers her many encounters over four years with Madame Clos. more
TEACH A MAN TO FISH
2018 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 80 min
Grant Leigh Saunders is an Aboriginal filmmaker, writer and musician who has secretly always wanted to be a fisherman, just like his father and grandfather before him. This fishing yarn is set against the backdrop of the beautiful Manning River in central New South Wales. more
TERRA NULLIUS
1992/2021 (G) 21 min
RE-RELEASE OF AN ACCLAIMED FILM FROM 1992, RE-MASTERED FROM THE ORIGINAL FILM NEGATIVES. "In evoking what an Aboriginal child goes through when disconnected from family and taken into foster-care, this film is ahead of its time in its treatment." - Margo Neale, Senior Indigenous Curator and historian. more
THANKS FOR ALL THE FISH
2003 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 26 min
A film about the remarkable relationship between Indigenous cultures, the dolphin and the marine environment. We learn of remarkable signs observed between land and ocean to indicate when fish are travelling and in what numbers, and gain a clear insight into the 'yuri' or totem system and its place in contemporary culture. more
THOSE WHO SAID NO
2014 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 89 min
Crimes against humanity committed by the Iranian regime in the 1980s are revealed in the Iran Tribunal, an enquiry held under the auspices of the International Court of Justice in the Hague in 2012-3. A film by Iranian filmmaker, Nima Sarvestani, co-director of NO BURQAS BEHIND BARS. more
TOO MANY CAPTAIN COOKS
1988 (G) 18 min
In this film, Paddy Wainburranga of the Rembarrnga tribe from the centre of Arnhem Land in Northern Australia relates and paints the Rembarrnga history of Captain Cook. more
TROUBLESOME PRIEST, THE
2017 (G) 30 min
The story of Father Rod Bower, an Anglican priest from the central coast of New South Wales, whose provocative church signs go viral through social media around the world. He is committed to the belief that Australia's treatment of asylum seekers has put the soul of the nation in peril. more
TUPAIA'S ENDEAVOUR
2020 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 119 min
A first contact story, told from a Pacific point of view. Tupaia was a Polynesian high-priest, star-navigator, and artist who joined Cook's Endeavour expedition in Tahiti in 1769 as a navigator, and had a profound impact on Cook's journey and survival. This film cements Tupaia's role as a central figure in Pacific history. more
TWELVE CANOES
2008 (PG) 66 min
In the wake of the international success of TEN CANOES, Rolf de Heer has collaborated again with the Ramingining community of north Arnhem Land in making this series of twelve short documentaries that together paint a visual and audio portrait of the people, history, culture and place of the Yolngu people. more
TWO (2) DEGREES
2013 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 90 min
2 DEGREES tells two stories: first, the chaotic failure of the UN negotiations on climate change in Copenhagen; and the second takes us to the streets of Port Augusta, a small Australian town, and follows the community's passionate efforts to replace coal-fired power stations with solar thermal power. more
VEILED AMBITION
2006 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 26 min
An inspiring documentary about Frida,"a little Aussie battler in a scarf," and her dream to create a fashion empire. more
VIETNAM NURSES
2005 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 52 min
The untold story of the young Australian Army nurses who served at the only Australian-run field hospital in the Vietnam War. more
VIRTUOSI
2012 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 76 min
A documentary about the drive to be an artist and the special nature of virtuosity in dance. Through exhilarating dance and stories from the heart, Virtuosi reveals intimate and outstanding portraits of eight New Zealand dance artists. more
VOICES OF TRANSITION
2012 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 66 min
Powered by the conviction that crisis can be a major catalyst for change, Voices of Transition present paths towards a new model of human existence: one which is fair, environmentally sound and fulfilling, with soil and people supporting each other in a balanced and sustainable system. more
VOTE YES FOR ABORIGINES - The Story of the 1967 Referendum
2007 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 52 min
A documentary about the 1967 Referendum and the fight for citizenship rights for Aborigines. It marks the 40th anniversary of the occasion, celebrating its historical significance and contemporary relevance. more
VOYAGE OF BOUNTY'S CHILD, THE
1983 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 90 min
The year is 1789. In the central Pacific Ocean the crew of Her Majesty's Ship Bounty mutinied against their captain, William Bligh, and cast him adrift with 18 other men in an open boat, 150 kilometres from Tonga. This epic voyage is re-created in this remarkable documentary classic from 1983. more