Frank Hurley – the Man Who Made History

Synopsis

One of the last great imperial adventurers, Frank Hurley captured some of the earliest images of the world’s most remote places. His pictures are amongst the most valuable ever taken, but it now appears that some of them were elaborate fakes.

Hurley is best known as the cinematographer on Ernest Shackleton’s doomed Endurance expedition to the Antarctic. He also photographed both World Wars, explored New Guinea and enjoyed a long career as the visual chronicler of his homeland Australia.

He was an early pioneer of colour photography, helped invent the documentary film, and risked his life to bring back images from some of the great events of the 20th century. But today the experts are divided over this master of illusion – was he a giant of photography or just a conjurer with a camera?

Impact

The broadcast on the ABC attracted over a million viewers, which was a great audience given it was up against the last few balls of the Ashes in 2005. It has done well in the educational sector, and the DVD is being sold in shops around Australia.

The film has screened at the following festivals:
13th Festival du Film Jules Verne,
Sydney Film Festival,
Longest Night Film Festival and the les Rencontres Internationales du Cinéma des Antipodes 2006

Awards:
Nominated for the NSW Premiers’ History Scriptwriting Award,
Film Critics Circle Awards and 2006 Logies