DVD Choice for May 2012

Once Upon a Time in Cabramatta 

RRP $29.95 

Once Upon a Time in Cabramatta is the untold story of how the Vietnamese community overcame the odds and found their place in multicultural Australia. The story begins with the landmark decision of Prime Minister Fraser to open Australia’s doors to thousands of refugees at the end of the Vietnam War. It is a moment in history that finally buries the infamous White Australia Policy and transforms a nation. The years that follow are as dramatic as they are turbulent - a people struggling to find their place in a foreign land. In this one tiny Sydney suburb, the 80s and 90s see the arrival of street gangs, a heroin epidemic and the first political assassination in Australia’s history. But as the century draws to a close there is a remarkable turnaround. The Vietnamese people finally find their voice – speaking up to claim their rightful, democratic place in their adopted home. Cabramatta is a community transformed. Australia, a continent changed forever.

Great Expectations

RRP $29.95 

This 2011 production is a raw and passionate three-part adaptation of one of Dickens' finest novels starring Ray Winstone, Gillian Anderson and Douglas Booth. A terrifying encounter with escaped convict Magwitch on the marshes; a summons from Miss Havisham, the eccentric and reclusive owner of Satis House; a friendship with her beautiful but cold-hearted adopted daughter Estella; the sudden generosity of a mysterious benefactor: these are the events that see the orphaned Pips life change for ever.

Welcome to the Sticks

RRP $34.95 

A film phenomenon in its home country of France, the hilarious Welcome To The Sticks (Bienvenue Chez Les Chtis) is a heartwarming comedy. When actor and comedian Dany Boon setout to poke fun at the stereotypes the southern French perpetuate about their northern counterparts, he succeeded beyond his wildest dreams: in making the most successful French movie of all time. The light-hearted and good-natured humour centring on regional differences and local traditions is the same the world over, making this a universally entertaining film.

The Illusionist

RRP $34.95

Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film, The Illusionist unites the creative team of Sylvain Chomet (director of the Oscar-nominated Triplets of Belleville) with the late comic genius Jacques Tati, who penned the enchanting script. In the late 1950s an aging magician travels the globe with his top hat, white rabbit and series of out-dated magic tricks. But as the flashy rock 'n' roll age creeps up, the Illusionist is forced to accept increasingly obscure engagements to get by. Traveling to Scotland, he encounters Alice, and although they don't speak the same language, the two lonely strangers begin to discover the true magic of human connection.