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Psychology (3/6)
The mind, psychology and psychologists, in Australia and internationally, including the psychological consequences of government action in relation to Indigenous peoples of Australia, refugees and asylum seekers. Stories also cover such subjects as family dynamics, especially families in crisis.
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
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
HYBRID LIFE - group 2 of 3
2001 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 104 min
A series of programs which examine the lives of the children and the grandchildren of Australian migrants. This group consists of 4 episodes from the series: ALWAYS A VISITOR | THE LAST PECHENIUK | WEE JIMMY | PARRA. more
IN THEIR NAME
2022 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 27 min
Decades after Latvian Jewish women and children were humiliated and killed by Nazi troops and their Latvian collaborators in 1941, their descendants continue to be haunted by the massacre. A film by Peter Hegedus. more
JOHN FARROW: HOLLYWOOD'S MAN IN THE SHADOWS
2021 (PG) 96 min
This award-winning documentary is the first ever made about one of Hollywood's most prolific yet forgotten filmmakers, John Villiers Farrow (1904-1963). Part mystery, part biography, part film noir, the documentary follows the stranger-than-fiction story of this Australian-born, Oscar-winning filmmaker. 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
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
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
LILI (Hungarian version)
2019 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 85 min
Egy anya, Lili, az '56-os forradalom közepén elmenekül Magyarországról, ezzel egy kontinenseken és generációkon átívelő elhagyás történet veszi kezdetét. 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
LONG NIGHT'S JOURNEY INTO DAY
2000 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: M) 94 min
This documentary studies South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), set up by the post-apartheid, democratic government to consider amnesty for perpetrators of crimes committed under apartheid's reign. more
MICK'S GIFT (Family Foibles)
2001 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 27 min
Mick Hudson was mythologised by his family but his films of the 1950s and the memories of loved ones leave contradictory images prompting a reassessment of the 'real' Mick. 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
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
MUSIC AND MURDER
2003 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 52 min
Music and Murder follows the story of three men, all incarcerated for horrific murders, who have become accomplished musicians in prison. Each man believed music was helping them in the long road to being reintegrated into society. more
MY MOTHER MY SON
2000 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 26 min
The story of an Aboriginal mother and daughter [Mona & Kymmy], both victims of the stolen generation, who embark on a journey to regain custody of Kymmy's young son Rowland. They are determined to shed the baggage from their past and take control of their own lives and by so doing break the cycle of dispossession, broken... more
MY MOTHER NANCY (Family Foibles)
2001 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 27 min
A cross-cultural, cross-generational tale of a mother reclaiming her identity to pursue her dream against the traditional conventions on which her family is built. 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
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
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
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
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
PRODIGAL SON, THE
2005 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 27 min
Alexo hasn't spoken to his son for 15 years. It is only after serious illness that he begins to speak to him again. THE PRODIGAL SON is the moving story of a traditional Macedonian family's 'dilemma' with having a gay son. 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
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
REMEMBERING COUNTRY
2000 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 26 min
An intimate autobiographical film that invites the audience into Harold Furber's vivid memories of being a desert kid stolen away to a tropical island. 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
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
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
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
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
SHINE
1996 (PG) 107 min
The 1996 multi-award winning Australian film based on the life of pianist David Helfgott, who suffered a mental breakdown and spent years in institutions. Starring Geoffrey Rush, Lynn Redgrave, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Noah Taylor, John Gielgud, Googie Withers, Justin Braine, Sonia Todd, Chris Haywood and Alex Rafalowicz. 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
SLEEP OF REASON, THE
1993 (PG) 50 min
A film about the end of the world: the myth that has been with us since the beginning of civilization, and the possibility made real at Hiroshima in 1945. The journey takes us from medieval paintings to 50s sci fi movies and leaves us better able to understand and deal with our destructive urges. 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
STILL BREATHING
2002 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 26 min
Rob Fraser was born with cystic fibrosis. He can see the end of his life clearly and he's considering a lung transplant. With Rob's intimate narration, he contemplates what he is prepared to risk. more
STRANDED
2006 (M) 52 min
Claudia is trying to start a new life for herself after the loss of her mother. She lives and fights with her loving but inept father and psychotic little sister. When two children are dumped on the family, Claudia moves into her mother's abandoned car in the driveway. She plans to fix it and take off - that's if she can... more
SUBURB 4 SALE
2006 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 52 min
An observational documentary, filmed over two years, that follows what happens when a public housing estate goes under the hammer. It documents the lives of families desperate to buy in, and those desperate to get out, and the charismatic real estate agent whose job it is to turn a public housing estate into a viable property... 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
UPSTAIRS DOWNSTAIRS (Family Foibles)
2001 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 27 min
A family separates and, for the sake of their relationship and own lives, works out a way to keep living and parenting together for the sake of their daughter. Architecture, alternatives, and a lot of planning and negotiating are central to this story. more
VACANT POSSESSION
1994 (M) 95 min
NOW RE-MASTERED FROM ORIGINAL FILM MATERIALS! A welcome re-release of the acclaimed dramatic feature film from 1994, written and directed by Margot Nash (director of The Silences, also available from Ronin). Following her mother's death, a young woman returns to the old family home, a dilapidated cottage in a coastal... more
WANDERING SOULS
2019 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 75 min
Wandering Souls follows the mounting of a new stage production, Bangsokol: A Requiem for Cambodia, to honour the nearly 2 million Cambodians who died during the Khmer Rouge regime from 1975 to 1979. more
WEATHER DIARIES, THE
2020 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 91 min
An intimate chronicle of two simultaneous histories: on the one hand the cataclysmic impacts of climate change and the extinction crisis on the forest ecosystems, and on the other, the development of the filmmaker's daughter from child to adult. more
WEDDING IN RAMALLAH, A
2002 (M) 90 min
A Wedding in Ramallah is an engrossing film exploring domestic life in Palestine during a time of war, and the experiences of Palestinians who manage to emigrate overseas. more
WHO WE ARE IN SPORT
2012 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 49 min
Six Indigenous sports stars talk about their experiences, achievements and challenges on the track, in the ring - and in life. Presented by Aaron Pedersen with Nova Peris, Mark Ella, Kyah Simon, Phil Krakouer, Des Abbott and Anthony Mundine. more
WONDER BOY
2001 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 56 min
The follow-up documentary to the highly successful 1992 documentary DRIVING WITH RICHARD, the story of Richard Rook, a boy with special needs (physical and intellectual disabilities), and his parents Deirdre and Charlie. more
WOODCUTTER'S SON, THE (Family Foibles)
2001 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 27 min
Jailed for 25 years for armed robbery, Allan Martin came out of jail 8 years ago as a published poet. He hopes to renew contact with his mother and sister after a long estrangement. more