Cirrus@Austlit

'Australian cinema was rediscovered by international audiences in the mid 1970s, and, for a decade or so, Australian film-makers exploited their slight competitive edge over other national industries. Images of the Australian landscape were a cinematic exotic, and the stories being told were often new – even to many Australians. The dominance of the historical period drama during the first decade of the Australian revival, though, meant that the film industry’s representation of Australian culture was formed largely of a series of snapshots through the nation’s rear-view mirror.' (Introduction)