WORTH WATCHING

Watch: Video Essay on 'A Brief History of the Australian New Wave'

by Alex Billington
August 3, 2021
Source: YouTube

"The natural landscape is a common setting and often a frightening place - one that functions by its own logic and is hostile to outsiders." Dive into this brief history of the Australian New Wave era of cinema thanks to a new video essay on YouTube. This was commissioned by Little White Lies and written / edited by filmmaker Will Webb (who has been making many video essays in addition to this one). Here's the intro: "How a government funding scheme gave rise to a cinematic revolution in 1970s Australia, featuring now iconic films such as Wake in Fright, Walkabout and Mad Max." It all kicked off in the early 1970s and lasted through the 80s, with other Australian classics like The Man From Hong Kong, Gallipoli, Mad Dog Morgan, Razorback, and Crocodile Dundee. Webb's essay covers the first few films and various themes of the era, including how the films represented Australia and helped move the country forward. Worth a watch.

Thanks to Little White Lies for commissioning this video essay. Quick intro from Wikipedia: "The Australian New Wave (also known as the Australian Film Revival, Australian Film Renaissance, or New Australian Cinema) was an era of resurgence in worldwide popularity of Australian cinema, particularly in the United States. It began in the early 1970s and lasted until the mid-late 1980s. The era also marked the emergence of Ozploitation, a film genre characterised by the exploitation of colloquial Australian culture." This video essay is written and edited by filmmaker Will Webb - you can see more of his work on his official website or follow him on Twitter @Willwebbful. Wikipedia has a big list of many of the Australian New Wave films, from Walkabout (1971) & Wake in Fright (1971) to Attack Force Z (1982) & BMX Bandits (1983). We highly recommend watching any film from this era! Lots of gems. To see more video essays, click here. Thoughts?

Find more posts: To Watch, Video Essays