This month’s documentaries look at how trust is earned and spent. The vulnerable link between whistleblower and storyteller, the acerbic sibling rivalry in rock band Oasis, the competing allegiances of spy and handler, and friendships forged in war are just some of the stories on offer in January.
The Monthly is one of the boldest voices on politics, society and culture. As the proud home of the country’s finest writers and thinkers, the Monthly brings the very best in investigative reportage, critical essay and cultural commentary to Australians who seek a deeper understanding of the issues affecting the nation and the world.
This month’s selection includes:
Oasis: Supersonic
Combining extensive archival footage with typically outspoken commentary from Liam and Noel Gallagher, director Mat Whitecross charts Oasis’s ascension from a Manchester housing estate to the world’s biggest stages – and a messy unravelling across Britain’s tabloids.
The Green Prince
At once a psychological thriller and a comment on Middle Eastern relations, The Green Prince tells the true story of one of Israel’s most prized intelligence operatives: the son of a top Hamas leader. Nadav Schirman’s tense documentary focuses on the complex relationship between the spy and his handler.
Chasing Asylum
Academy Award–winning Australian documentarian Eva Orner is no stranger to stories of labyrinthine complexity, but Chasing Asylum is one of her most challenging and personal films. Working extensively with whistleblowers, Orner gets footage from inside Australia’s offshore detention centres and hears the stories of refugees, many of whom are still living in a torturous limbo.
The Salt of the Earth
Photographer Sebastião Salgado is renowned for his iconic shots of nature and people working on the land, and for the time he has spent in the communities he documents. Filmmaker Wim Wenders and Salgado’s son Juliano explore the philosophy that informs his work and the relationships he has built over his 40-year career.
Waltz with Bashir
In this animated documentary, director Ari Folman tries to recover his lost memories of being an Israeli soldier in the 1982 Lebanon War. Folman’s innovative visual approach vividly depicts his distorted recollections and the accounts of fellow soldiers. This is a memoir, a war film, a piece of investigative journalism and a vibrant history lesson.
