Action! Film & War

Image: From left: Cpl Michael Davis, Lt Kris Gardiner and ABPH Paul Berry working on the gun line at Forward Operating Base Armadillo in Helman Province, Afghanistan, on August 27, 2008. Photo: Department of Defence/Cpl Andrew Hetherington

Since the First World War, Australians have been filmed in every conflict zone they have found themselves in – usually with fellow Australians behind the camera.

This familiar and at times iconic footage has been projected in our cinemas, screened on our televisions and uploaded online. However, how and why it was filmed – and by whom – is less well known.

The experiences of the men and women behind the lens – as shown through the equipment they used, the records they kept and the stories they tell – reveal determination, resilience, ingenuity and courage in the face of danger.

These are stories that illuminate the action, revealing what lies beyond the screen.