'This article offers a reconsideration of the films and career of Ray Lawrence, a critically acclaimed Australian director whose most recent film Jindabyne was a national and international successes in 2006. Although to date his output consists of just three feature films completed since 1985, Lawrence's work can be seen to embody, unite and typify several disparate ideals, debates and tendencies present within Australian film-making over the past twenty years.' (Author's abstract)