David Stratton: A Cinematic Life

Australian Cinema Through the Lens of a Celebrated Critic

A compelling personal journey with David Stratton as he relates the fascinating development of our cinema history. David guides us from his boyhood cinema experience of Australia in England, where he saw the first images of this strange and exotic landscape via the medium of film, to his migration to Australia as a 'ten pound pom' in 1963 and onto his present day reflections on the iconic themes that run through our cinematic legacy.

All of this reflects a passionate engagement in a uniquely Australian medium. Parallel and at the heart of the series is the story of an industry whose growing pains David has witnessed over a lifetime. Alongside David, the protagonists of this history are the giants of Australian cinema - both behind the camera and in front of it.

Nominated for the Golden Eye at the Cannes Film Festival. Nominated for Best Feature Length Documentary at the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards.

"As charming, touching, erudite and opinionated as its subject." - CJ Johnson, ABC Radio)

"The kind of film the man himself would likely give several stars and probably more." - Sarah Ward, Concrete Playground