The Saturday Paper is a quality weekly newspaper, dedicated to narrative journalism. It offers the biggest names and best writing in news, culture and analysis with a particular focus on Australia.
This month examine how individuals overcame extraordinary odds to arrive at the frontline of the battle for equality. A journey that can take the form of a long ride from poverty to the heights of the ballet elite, a fearless march onto a tennis court, a quiet walk to a microphone in a punk rock club, or a defiant refusal to go to war.
This month’s selection is:
The Battle of the Sexes
Sharing a title, and subject, with the new blockbuster film, James Erskine and Zara Hayes’ look at the media circus surrounding the landmark 1973 tennis match between Bobby Riggs and Billie Jean King. The film captures the second-wave feminism that sparked the challenge, and examines why it became the most watched tennis match in history, and why it is still important today.
A Ballerina's Tale
Nelson George’s 2015 film about the first African American principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre, Misty Copeland. A Ballerina’s Tale, narrated by Copeland herself, documents her rise, unlikely success and career-threatening injury, and explores race, body image and how Copeland has changed the elite world of ballet.
Patti Smith: Dream Of Life
Steven Sebring’s documentary about the American musician, author, poet and activist Patti Smith captures her creative force by focusing on her domestic life and sporadic work as an artist. Shot over an 11-year period, Dream of Life obscures Smith’s complex personality and the artistry that drives her.
Paul Kelly: Stories Of Me
Recently recording his first No. 1 album, singer-songwriter Paul Kelly has been documenting the minutiae of Australian existence for almost 40 years. Throughout this time, Kelly has remained an enigma, despite his profile. This intimate account of his life and creative process and the people who helped put him where he is today features unusually candid insights from Kelly himself.
The Trials Of Muhammad Ali
Eschewing the conventions of the sports biography, Bill Siegel’s film focuses on the life of Muhammad Ali outside the ring, and on his transition from an up-and-coming boxer named Cassius Clay to a spiritually enlightened Civil Rights icon and legendary champion. Using interviews and historical footage, we see Ali’s battles with the United States government, the media, his refusal of the Vietnam War draft and pertinent reminders of the courage he displayed on a daily basis.
