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Mental Health (2/3)
A growing collection of films on mental health issues, ranging from case studies to the social context of mental health issues. The films are generally made by independent filmmakers and represent a body of work that expresses individual concerns and interests, rather than institutions and facilities.
HOME BY CHRISTMAS
2009 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 90 min
A dramatised documentary memoir based on filmmaker Gaylene Preston's interviews with her father about his World War II experiences, reconstructed with actor Tony Barry as Ed Preston. more
HUNDREDTH ROOM, THE
2004 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 18 min
THE HUNDREDTH ROOM follows the personal journey undertaken by the filmmaker in the twelve months following her partner Caroline's death. We enter into the landscape of grief to discover what death says about life. 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
LAND MINES - a love story
2005 (PG) 73 min
LAND MINES - a love story is a compelling anti-war film set in Afghanistan, a country that has become synonymous with conflict. It is also a story of romance and a celebration of life, hope and love. more
LANGUAGE OF LIGHT, THE
2023 (M) 171 min
Intimate portraits of seven ground-breaking Australian photographers, each with a significant body of work and each with a different photographic style. 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
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
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
MEN DON'T CRY
2015 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 26 min
A mother's concern for her son and his abuse of alcohol takes her on a journey of her own self-discovery. The film observes the pain and hardship of alcohol abuse on families, and the internal pain of a mother feeling 'useless' as she observes the self-destruction of her child as he tries to become 'a man'. 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
QUICK BROWN FOX: An Alzheimer's Story
2004 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 62 min
QUICK BROWN FOX explores the notion of how memories define us and how Alzheimer's can indiscriminately steal one's identity and family history. 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
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