Page 1226 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 23 August 1989
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though film did not exist; it is as though cinema did not exist. I felt the same with Anthony Steel the other morning: film was unmentioned; cinema did not exist. Yet I would like to stress that the present Playhouse - and may we preserve it - is a site for some of the best films we see in this city. But much more importantly than that, within the present Canberra Theatre - and may we preserve it - is Ronin Films. Ronin Films has its offices in there.
This company is not merely a distributor of films; it is a maker of films. They have makers of films on their board, on their staff, on their ownership, and they represent some of the best film-making in Australia.
I do ask Mr Wood, Mr Humphries, Mr Moore and Mr Duby from the heart to please take on the question of Canberra as a centre for Australian film - the Australian film industry - especially in the realm of documentary film. David and Judith MacDougall have been at the Australian Institute for Aboriginal Studies. They make superb ethnographic films. Their films have been shown in film festivals around the world. There was a special festival for the MacDougall films in Berlin several years ago, and in the United States, in New York. Similarly, Dennis O'Brien lives and works in the ACT. One could go on and on. I could mention half a dozen film-makers at this very moment.
The Humanities Research Centre at the ANU is concentrating on film and humanities this year. The ANU is a centre already for ethnographic film. The present CCAE, the future University of Canberra, or by whatever other name, has a media program within it which stresses, among other things, film. So I do believe, without any question at all, that this is an area the committee should strongly address. I hope they will become very familiar with it and it may produce even more bleary eyes than any other form of the arts.
MR MOORE (11.46): I also welcome the opportunity that this motion provides to serve on this committee. I see others are envious about not having the opportunity to serve on it, and I am very pleased to be able to do so myself. I have a background in the arts, having served on two arts councils in South Australia and being a founding member of one of those. Let me say that I have taken particular note of the comments made by members today and am very pleased about the bipartisan approach to this particular project.
I will be paying particular attention, not just to children, as Mrs Grassby suggested, but to youth who are at that point of leaving school - Mr Stevenson also referred to them - because of their involvement in theatre, the arts, film, writing and the whole range of cultural facilities. It gives me great pleasure to be able to support this motion and to be able to support the cultural life of the ACT.
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