Acclaimed actress Rachel Griffiths is embarking on a new journey to find out what it means to be an Australian.
Sitting down for a Q&A session with Woman’s Day, Rachel says her new four-part documentary series with SBS, The Idea Of Australia, is a passion project for her, and a series that’s not afraid to explore some more mysterious parts of Australia’s history.
What inspired you to start exploring Australia’s cultural identity?
For the best part of 20 years, my career took me overseas and I was always homesick.
The joy of returning sparked unexpected questions and conversations.
My nostalgic view of Australia was challenged by the place I returned to. My idea of Australia was a bit out of date.
In the series, you examine topics from queer bushrangers to today’s housing crisis – what was the most fascinating to explore?
For me, it was the blackbirding of Pacific Islanders, I had no idea that we basically had slave labour in this country.
I love history rabbit holes, and that chapter was pretty interesting.
Every time there was something interesting on the show, I had to go and do a deep dive.
You’re being joined by Ray Martin, Grace Tame and the Governor-General Sam Mostyn – what was it like working with these incredible Australians?
Ray Martin has been trying to make sense of this country for a very long time.
We’ve got our Governor-General Sam Mostyn who’s got such a big brain and is such a believer in Australia, and gets up every day thinking, ‘How can I help make us better?”
Some of our guests are also angry, and rightfully so, but most of our guests are extraordinary and speak to Australia’s core values of equality and giving everyone a fair go.
What are you hoping viewers take away from The Idea Of Australia?
This is an optimistic show, and it encourages people to believe this country is exceptional.
Let’s not fall into the funk the rest of the world is in at the moment.
We’re not France, Germany or America. We have plenty to celebrate.
You’ve also been busy with another passion project, When The War Is Over with the ABC coming out in November – what’s it about?
I’m a bit more hands-on as the co-creator of the show, which looks at the role art has played in understanding our wars.
And, it’s not just paintings, it’s music like Khe Sanh, the movie Gallipoli, the hymns that nurses wrote as prisoners of war and the art of veterans who came home.
How big of an impact have the arts had on helping Australians heal from war?
Every time we’ve needed to heal from a national trauma, artists have been there.
They were there after Vietnam to remind people there was a whole generation that weren’t doing well, and it was artists that created important work about veteran suicide during the royal commission.
Australians have sung songs and put on shows in the worst circumstances.
Art is central to human existence, and we’ve known for a long time that it’s a powerful tool to overcome trauma.
The Idea of Australia airs Wednesdays from 15 October at 7:30pm on SBS and SBS On Demand.
