Film series uncovers Australian treasures

Film series uncovers Australian treasures

UCLA film archives present down under history in ‘Strictly
Oz’

By Lael Loewenstein

Daily Bruin Staff

Long before it was known for spawning ABBA-worshipping
transvestites and sequin-clad ballroom dancers, Australia had a
rich and diverse cinematic history.

Australia’s motion picture heritage is the focus of "Strictly
Oz: A History of Australian Films," a series presented by the UCLA
Film and Television Archive in conjunction with the Australian Film
Commission. Having kicked off on Jan. 11 with the acclaimed new
film "Angel Baby" and a pair of "Road Warrior" films, the series
continues through March 14 and spans nine decades of movie history,
covering everything from racial tensions to intimate
relationships.

Most recently, Australia has become known for its
internationally acclaimed comedies "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert"
and "Strictly Ballroom." But those homages to kitsch are only the
latest stage in the country’s constantly evolving and expanding
film legacy,

Although early Australian cinema was well-received by its
citizens, it soon lost ground to the Hollywood machine. In the wake
of the world wars, American films entered the Australian market and
nearly eclipsed their homegrown productions. It was not until the
early 1970s that Australian cinema would re-emerge as a significant
filmmaking force, thanks to the creation of the government-funded
Australian Filmmaking Development Corporation, later known as the
Australian Film Commission.

Just as government subsidies and grants helped to nurture the
growth of New German Cinema in the 1960s, Australia’s newly created
film commission soon engendered a creative new wave of filmmaking
in the 1970s.

Director Peter Weir ("Witness," "Gallipolli") was a prime force
during that period. In his first film, the potent and ironic 1974
feature "The Cars That Ate Paris" (screening Feb. 10), Weir
unearths the perverse nature of Australia’s love affair with cars.
His next film, the better-known "Picnic at Hanging Rock" (screening
Feb. 27), is a moody and evocative adaptation of Joan Lindsay’s
novel about a turn-of-the-century mystery.

Period films such as "Hanging Rock" and Gillian Armstrong’s 1979
"My Brilliant Career" stood out from among the crop. Armstrong’s
"Career" (screening March 9), starring a young Judy Davis as a
woman who spurns love for a career, garnered its star an Oscar
nomination for best actress and critical acclaim for its
director.

Alongside Armstrong, the New Zealand-born, Australia-trained
Jane Campion ("The Piano") emerged as a significant female voice.
Campion’s "Sweetie" (playing Feb.3) investigates family
relationships from a female perspective. Though the film premiered
to catcalls at Cannes, it has since come to be regarded as a
critical film in Campion’s and Australia’s canon.

Feature films aside, Australia has been most highly regarded for
its documentaries. John Hyler’s "Back of Beyond" (screening Jan.
28) follows a mailman’s 300-mile journey through the desert to
deliver supplies to isolated settlements, while Armstrong’s "Bingo
Bridesmaids and Braces" (screening March 9) examines three teen-age
mothers over a 12-year period.

In the docudrama-vein, "Romper Stomper" (playing March 2),
Geoffrey Wright’s gritty verité film of Australia’s violent
Hitler youth provoked controversy but garnered critical praise.
Wright followed that film with the gritty "Metal Skin" (screening
March 2), co-starring Tara Morice of "Strictly Ballroom."

"Ballroom" wraps up the series on March 14. A mock documentary
of incomparable comic charm, it opened the eyes of a new generation
to Australian cinema.

FILM: For more info, call (310) 206-FILM.

Tara Morice and Aden Young star in the Australian film "Metal
Skin," screening March 2.

Although early Australian cinema was well-received by its
citizens, it soon lost ground to the Hollywood machine.

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