Best Australian documentary movies
A curated collection of popular documentary movies from Australia.
The War on Democracy (2007)
The War on Democracy (2007)
Set both in Latin America and the United States, the film explores the historic and current relationship of Washington with countries such as Venezuela, Bolivia and Chile. Pilger says that the film "...tells a universal story... analysing and revealing, through vivid testimony, the story of great power behind its venerable myths. It allows us to understand the true nature of the so-called "war on terror". According to Pilger, the film’s message is that the greed and power of empire is not invincible and that people power is always the "seed beneath the snow".
Solarmax (2000)
Solarmax (2000)
Solarmax is a 40-minute giant-screen documentary that tells the story of humankind's struggle to understand the sun. The film will take audiences on an incredible voyage from pre-history to the leading edge of today's contemporary solar science.
An appropriately unhinged recap of Pretty Little Liars (Part 1) (2021)
An appropriately unhinged recap of Pretty Little Liars (Part 1) (2021)
Mike's Mic diverts the course of history by posting a 1 hour 52 minute YouTube video recapping the events of the hit 2010s TV show 'Pretty Little Liars' seasons 1 to 3A.
An appropriately unhinged recap of Pretty Little Liars (Part 2) (2021)
An appropriately unhinged recap of Pretty Little Liars (Part 2) (2021)
Mike's Mic (who's name is factually, contractually, and legally Mike) returns with a 2 hour and 17 minute long sequel to his unhinged recap of the hit 2010s TV show 'Pretty Little Liars', this time covering seasons 3B to 5B.
An appropriately unhinged recap of Pretty Little Liars (Part 3 - FINALE) (2022)
An appropriately unhinged recap of Pretty Little Liars (Part 3 - FINALE) (2022)
Michael Microphone returns (with the iconic PLL wall) for the finale of his critically acclaimed series recapping the hit 2010s TV show 'Pretty Little Liars', this time covering the final two seasons, 6 and 7.
Madonna: Rebel Heart Tour (2016)
Madonna: Rebel Heart Tour (2016)
Concert special featuring the iconic superstar as she performs in packed arenas around the globe. Featuring new hits and beloved classics that showcase Madonna's signature visual theatrics, exquisite costumes and awe-inspiring choreography. With exclusive behind-the-scenes access that reveal the pop icon and her legion of dancers as they pour blood, sweat and tears into creating an astonishing arena show celebrated by fans around the world.
ONEFOUR: Against All Odds (2023)
ONEFOUR: Against All Odds (2023)
A group of Sydney-based, Pacific Islander kids start recording drill raps to avoid a life of crime. Two years into their meteoric rise, a police task force shuts down their sold-out national tour due to concerns that the group's music will incite violence.
Rock n' Roll Nerd (2008)
Rock n' Roll Nerd (2008)
ROCK N ROLL NERD is an intimate tale that charts Tim Minchin’s meteoric rise from obscurity to celebrity. Capturing every moment of Tim’s first frenzied break onto the comedy scene the documentary weaves never-before-seen performance footage, backstage antics, home footage and candid interviews into a funny and deeply personal story of love and ambition.
U2: Zoo TV - Live from Sydney (1994)
U2: Zoo TV - Live from Sydney (1994)
1. Show Opening 2. Zoo Station 3. The Fly 4. Even Better Than The Real Thing 5. Mysterious Ways 6. One 7. Unchained Melody 8. Until The End Of The World 9. New Year's Day 10. Numb 11. Angel Of Harlem 12. Stay (Faraway, So Close!) 13. Satellite Of Love 14. Dirty Day 15. Bullet The Blue Sky 16. Running To Stand Still 17. Where The Streets Have No Name 18. Pride (In The Name Of Love) 19. Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car 20. Lemon 21. With Or Without You 22. Love Is Blindness 23. Can't Help Falling In Love U2 had been a major entity in the rock music world for many years by the time they released the ACHTUNG BABY album. Yet, it was this album that brought the band from popular rock act to multimedia force as their concerts began to include the video screen as an important part of the show. Following ACHTUNG BABY was the ZOOROPA album and one of U2's most successful tours, the Zoo TV Tour, in which the multimedia experience was expanded upon.
Jimmy Barnes: Working Class Boy (2018)
Jimmy Barnes: Working Class Boy (2018)
With nine #1 albums to his name, Jimmy Barnes is one of Australia’s greatest rock icons. But his success masked a life of hardship and abuse, where the music that once saved him from oblivion almost came back to destroy him. Before Jimmy Barnes was Jimmy Barnes, he was James Dixon Swan, a troubled kid from the mean streets of Glasgow – and the even meaner streets of North Adelaide – trying to survive against a backdrop of addiction, alcoholism, poverty and abuse. For Jimmy, escape was the only option and he found it with a band called Cold Chisel. But the rock’n’roll lifestyle has its own temptations and the scars of childhood are always waiting to take you home. Based on the bestselling memoir and directed by veteran Australian filmmaker Mark Joffe, Working Class Boy is both an inspiring story of rock and redemption told in Barnes’ own words and an unflinchingly honest reflection on fame, creativity and depression.
Gurrumul (2018)
Gurrumul (2018)
Blind from birth, Dr G Yunupingu found his identity through song and the haunting voice that has already become legend. His debut album introduced Australia to the Songlines and culture of his Elcho Island community, but now Dr G Yunupingu finds himself increasingly torn between city and country, present and past, self and the community to which he owes so much.
Taylor Swift: The Road to Reputation (2018)
Taylor Swift: The Road to Reputation (2018)
Taylor Swift personally walks us through her phenomenal career and see incredible footage from her record-breaking reputation, Stadium Tour.
Chunky Shrapnel (2020)
Chunky Shrapnel (2020)
CHUNKY SHRAPNEL is a feature length live music documentary from King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard. Literally bringing the audience onto the stages of their 2019 tour across Europe & the UK, Chunky offers a uniquely immersive experience never before captured on film. A musical road movie dipped in turpentine.
Parkway Drive: Home Is For The Heartless (2012)
Parkway Drive: Home Is For The Heartless (2012)
Follow the band on their endless global trek, shot in 42 countries on five continents, the 75-minute "Home Is For The Heartless" DVD is both a rare travelogue and an in-depth look at PARKWAY DRIVE on stage and off. In addition to footage of some of the craziest shows the band has ever played, it also captures some of their greatest adventures and most poignant shared moments.
Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line (2024)
Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line (2024)
Across a 45-year career ‘The Oils’ helped shape modern Australia with anthems like “US Forces”, “Beds Are Burning” and “Redneck Wonderland”. Featuring unseen footage and interviews with every band member, alongside signature moments including the outback tour with Warumpi Band, their Exxon protest gig in New York and those famous “Sorry” suits at the Sydney Olympics, Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line traces the journey of Australia’s quintessential rock band.
I Used to Be Normal: A Boyband Fangirl Story (2018)
I Used to Be Normal: A Boyband Fangirl Story (2018)
'I Used to be Normal - A Boyband Fangirl Story' is the surprising coming of age story of four diverse women who have had their lives dramatically changed by their love of a boyband - Backstreet Boys, One Direction, Take That and The Beatles.
Mutiny in Heaven: The Birthday Party (2023)
Slim & I (2020)
Slim & I (2020)
Documentary portrait of Joy McKean, Australia’s Queen of country music. Follows her performance and songwriting career, decades of touring around Australia, and her marriage of more than 50 years to fellow musician Slim Dusty.
Sleepless: The Story of Future Classic (2018)
Sleepless: The Story of Future Classic (2018)
In 2004, Nathan McLay quit his day job to start Future Classic, a Sydney record label he hoped would put Australia's burgeoning dance music scene on the world map. It quickly became an incubator of local talent and launched the careers of genre-bending artists like Nick Murphy (formerly known as Chet Faker), Flight Facilities and Flume. This documentary traces the label's growth from a small DIY collective to an unstoppable force in contemporary music.
The 5 Seconds of Summer Show (2021)
The 5 Seconds of Summer Show (2021)
The show captures the pursuit of creation, the love of the relationship 5 Seconds of Summer have with their fans and the endless boundary of what it means to be in a band.
Fading West (2013)
Fading West (2013)
Inspired by films including "Rattle and Hum" and "Endless Summer," Fading West follows Grammy-winning alternative-rock band Switchfoot as they travel the globe in search of new musical inspiration and perfect waves. Filmed during Switchfoot's 2012 World Tour, Fading West charts the creation of the fivesome's upcoming album in its earliest and most unpredictable stages. As the band visits legendary surf breaks in Australia, New Zealand, Africa, and Bali, brothers Jon and Tim Foreman breathe fresh life into their songs by harnessing the spirit of their surroundings and mining new emotional depths. Part rock documentary, surf film, and travelogue, Fading West offers rare glimpses of the longtime surfers on their boards, captures the frenetic energy of their live shows, and portrays a journey both epic and intimate.
Midnight Oil: 1984 (2018)
Midnight Oil: 1984 (2018)
In 1984, Midnight Oil released their iconic record Red Sails in the Sunset. They embarked on a relentless tour around the nation performing raw and electrifying music that reignited the imagination of young Australians. That same year, their lead singer Peter Garrett committed to run for a Senate seat for the Nuclear Disarmament Party. With the mounting pressure of balancing the demands of music and politics this is the year that would make, but nearly break, Australia's most important rock and roll band. Thirty years in the making and featuring never seen before seen footage of the band on and off the stage, Midnight Oil: 1984 is the untold story of the year Australia’s most iconic rock band inspired the nation to believe in the power of music to change the world.
Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks (2019)
Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks (2019)
The fantastic story of how an ancient martial art, Chinese kung fu, conquered the world through the hundreds of films that were produced in Hong Kong over the decades, transformed Western action cinema and inspired the birth of cultural movements such as blaxploitation, hip hop music, parkour and Wakaliwood cinema.
Fallout (2013)
Fallout (2013)
During the 1940s, Nevil Shute had a steady job as an engineer in the British military but in his spare time, he wrote novels that were being well-received. Once the war was over, Shute choose to move to Australia and focus on writing, soon becoming an internationally acclaimed novelist. His novel On The Beach, particularly hit a chord with the international community, depicting the impact of global nuclear destruction. This documentary studies Shute's career and the adaptation of his most famous novel into a feature film in Melbourne, as his predictions of a post-Hiroshima world seem to be foreboding in their accuracy.
Girls Can't Surf (2021)
Girls Can't Surf (2021)
It’s the 1980s and the world of professional surfing is a circus of fluorescent colors, peroxide hair and radical male egos. "Girls Can't Surf" follows the journey of a band of renegade surfers who took on the male-dominated professional surfing world to achieve equality and change the sport forever. Featuring surfing greats Jodie Cooper, Frieda Zamba, Pauline Menczer, Lisa Andersen, Pam Burridge, Wendy Botha, Layne Beachley and more, "Girls Can't Surf" is a wild ride of clashing personalities, sexism, adventure and heartbreak, with each woman fighting against the odds to make their dreams of competing a reality.
