From
The Story of the Kelly Gang
in 1906 to the
Lord of the Rings
trilogy, Australia and New Zealand have made a unique impact on international cinema. This book celebrates the commercially successful narrative feature films produced by these cultures as well as key documentaries, shorts, and independent films. It also invokes issues involving national identity, race, history, and the ability of two small film cultures to survive the economic and cultural threat of Hollywood. Chapters on well known films and directors, such as
The Year of Living Dangerously
(Peter Weir, 1982),
The Piano
(Jane Campion, 1993),
Fellowship of the Ring
(Peter Jackson, 2001), and
Rabbit Proof Fence
(Philip Noyce, 2002), are included with less popular but equally important films and filmmakers, such as
Jedda
(Charles Chauvel, 1955),
They're a Weird Mob
(Michael Powell, 1966),
Vigil
(Vincent Ward, 1984), and
The Goddess of 1967
(Clara Law, 2000).