| Title |
Out of Sight, Out of Mind |
| Released |
1987 |
| Production Year |
1987 |
| Director |
David Goldie
|
| Synopsis |
This is a documentary taking a look inside the Australian prison system of the 1980's. It looks at the admission and culture-shock experience of new prisoners, survival in a brutal environment, and probable re-admission after release. Prisoners and prison officers are interviewed. The issues of violence, drugs, sex, AIDS and rehabilitation are examined. The film was shown in two 90 minute episodes on ABC TV in October 1987. It was originally conceived as a one hour special and yet despite itâs eventual length and subject matter the program outrated all commercial competition on both nights that it aired.
Due to the immense popularity of the program one year later it was shown again after having been reduced to a run time of 90mins. Ten years later it was re-edited again into a 54min program becoming the first part of a new three part series titled "The Big House" that took the original idea and looked at what had changed and what had stayed the same over the ten years in between the two productions. This production was groundbreaking for the ABC, David Goldie and documentary filmmaking in Australia at the time. This program was one of the first for the newly established documentary department at the ABC looking to offer items similar in texture to Four Corners. It proved to be a winning formula as David Goldie and the ABC went on to create the two 90 minute episode documentary Nobodyâs Children, an account of homeless youth, in 1988, the 90 minute documentary The Time of Your Life, an account of the poor treatment of the elderly, in 1991, and the two 90 minute episode documentary Without Consent, which tackled sexual violence against women, in 1992.
This film had a much bigger impact than just ushering in a new documentary style for the ABC it also contributed major changes to the prison system that it investigated. It is credited with contributing to the closure of the Jika Jika prison wing of Melbourneâs Pentridge Jail and inspired a magistrate in Canberra to make a young thief watch it.(Airlie) |
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References ( click to view )
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| book - Australian Documentary : Australian broadcasting cultures and documentar practice since the late 1980's . 00-00-2011. p.163 |
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Trish Fitzsimons,
Pat Laughren,
Dugald Williamson
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| The chapter titled âBroadcasting cultures and documentary practice since the late 1980âsâ covers the changes and attitudes of the television networks r...[full record]
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| newspaper - Fresh take on Life : Dream Job Documentary Maker Sydney Morning Herald. 13-02-2002. p.28 |
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Sacha Molitorisz
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| This article is about the work of David Goldie, one of Australiaâs most well-known and awarded Documentary makers. The article focuses on how he began his...[full record]
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| Unknown - Whose ABC? : Hill at the Helm: Television . 00-00-2006. p.187 |
| This chapter contains a section on Features and Documentaries that mentions the impact of the newly created Documentary unit at the ABC and the benefits that...[full record]
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