Michael Rubbo

Michael Dattilo Rubbo (born 31 December 1938) is an Australian documentarian/filmmaker.

Early life Rubbo, film maker and artist, was born in Melbourne, the son of Australian microbiologist Sydney Dattilo Rubbo, and artist Ellen Rubbo with whom he had his first exhibition at The Argus Gallery. He is the grandson of the painter Antonio Dattilo Rubbo and is one of four children. He attended the private Scotch College, and studied anthropology at Sydney University. He earned a Fulbright scholarship to study film at Stanford University, California; in 1965, he graduated with a Master's degree in Communication Arts.

Career Rubbo approached the National Film Board of Canada about an internship, but they were so impressed by his thesis film, The True Source of Knowledge, they hired him to make films, initially for children. He spent the next 20 years there, as a director, writer, editor and/or producer, mainly of serious films. At the time, the NFB was encouraging an objective approach to non-fiction film, including the use of voice-of-God narration, but Rubbo became an early pioneer in the field of metafilm, creating subjective, highly personal films that were more like personal journals than objective records of reality. His best-known NFB films are Sad Song of Yellow Skin (1972), Waiting for Fidel (1973), Wet Earth and Warm People, and Margaret Atwood: Once in August (1984).

In between films, Rubbo taught at Australia's National Film School, and was a visiting lecturer at New York University, UCLA, Stanford University, the University of Florida, Harvard University and the Australian Film, Television and Radio School. His work has influenced numerous filmmakers, notably Michael Moore, Nick Broomfield, Louis Theroux, Tina DiFeliciantonio and Karen Goodman.

In 1990, he returned to Australia to take the position of Head of Documentaries at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Rubbo's films have won numerous awards. Many have been shown on TV and are in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) and film schools around the world. His films have been screened at many festivals including the Sydney Film Festival.

Rubbo has also directed and written four children's feature films including The Peanut Butter Solution (1985), Tommy Tricker and the Stamp Traveller (1988), The Return of Tommy Tricker (1994), and the Daytime Emmy award-winning film Vincent and Me (1990).

In 2017, he published the book Travels with My Art.

Personal life Rubbo and his wife Katerina, a Russian interpreter, teacher and artist, live in Avoca Beach, New South Wales. Rubbo has two grown children, Nicolas Rubbo (living in Canada) and Ellen Rubbo living in Australia.

In 2013, the BBC named the Avoca Beach Theatre as one of the 10 most beautiful cinemas in the world. Rubbo was prominent in the campaign to stop plans to redevelop the theatre. Rubbo is also a prominent advocate for the widespread use of bicycles.

Filmography

The True Source of Knowledge - documentary short, Stanford University 1965 - director The Long Haul Men - documentary short 1966 - director Sir! Sir! - documentary short, National Film Board of Canada 1968 - director Mrs. Ryan’s Drama Class - documentary short, National Film Board of Canada 1969 - director Sad Song of Yellow Skin - documentary, National Film Board of Canada/PBS 1970 - director, writer, editor Solomon’s Housing - documentary, National Film Board of Canada 1970 - director Wet Earth and Warm People - documentary, National Film Board of Canada 1971 - director, writer, editor Persistent and Finagling - documentary, National Film Board of Canada 1971 - director, writer, editor OK…Camera - documentary short, National Film Board of Canada 1972 - director The Streets of Saigon - documentary short, National Film Board of Canada 1973 - director, writer, editor The Man Who Couldn’t Stop - documentary, National Film Board of Canada 1973 - director, writer, editor Bate's Car: Sweet as a Nut - documentary short, Tony Ianzelo, National Film Board of Canada 1974 - producer Waiting for Fidel - documentary, National Film Board of Canada 1974 - director, writer, editor, co-producer with Tom Daly I Am an Old Tree - documentary, National Film Board of Canada 1975 - director, writer, editor, co-producer with Tom Daly Log House - documentary short National Film Board of Canada 1976 - director, with Andreas Poulsson The Walls Come Tumbling Down - documentary short, National Film Board of Canada 1976 - director (with Pierre Lasry & William Weintraub), writer, editor I Hate to Lose - documentary National Film Board of Canada 1977 - director, writer, editor Solzhenitsyn’s Children…Are Making a Lot of Noise in Paris - documentary, National Film Board of Canada 1979 - director, writer, editor Yes or No, Jean-Guy Moreau - documentary, National Film Board of Canada 1979 - director, writer Daisy: The Story of a Facelift - documentary, National Film Board of Canada 1982 - director, writer, editor, co-producer with Kate Jansen Not Far from Bolgatanga - documentary short, National Film Board of Canada 1982 - writer, editor, co-producer and co-director with Barrie Howells Margaret Atwood: Once in August - documentary, National Film Board of Canada 1984 - director, writer, editor, co-producer with Barrie Howells The Peanut Butter Solution - feature, Les Productions La Fête/Telefilm Canada 1985 - director, writer, producer Tommy Tricker and the Stamp Traveller - feature, Les Productions La Fête/Telefilm Canada 1988 - director, writer Vincent and Me aka Vincent et Moi - feature, Les Productions La Fête/Telefilm Canada 1990 - director, writer The Return of Tommy Tricker - feature, Les Productions La Fête/Telefilm Canada 1994 - director, writer Uni - documentary series, Simon Target, Australian Broadcasting Corporation 1997 - producer Race Around the World - documentary series, Australian Broadcasting Corporation 1997 - executive producer King’s School - documentary series, Simon Target, Australian Broadcasting Corporation 1998 - producer The Little Box That Sings - documentary, Australian Broadcasting Corporation 1999 - director, writer, producer Much Ado About Something - documentary, PBS/Australian Broadcasting Corporation 2001 - director, writer, producer All About Olive - documentary, The Helpful Eye 2004 - director A Hard Rain - documentary, David Bradbury, Frontline Films 2007 - writer Michael Rubbo's Documentary Journey - instructive series, Michael Rubbo, Ellen Rubbo 2020

Awards

Mrs. Ryan's Drama Class 1969 (director) Conference on Children, Washington DC: Certificate of Merit, 1970

Sad Song of Yellow Skin (1970) 24th British Academy Film Awards, London: BAFTA Award for Best Documentary, 1971 Melbourne International Film Festival, Melbourne: Silver Boomerang, Best Film, 1971 HEMISFILM, San Antonio TX: Best Film, 1971 Festival of World Television, Los Angeles: Best Documentary, 1971 American Film and Video Festival, New York: Blue Ribbon Award, 1971 American Film and Video Festival, New York: Emily Award, 1971 22nd Canadian Film Awards: Special Award for Reportage, 1970 Atlanta Film Festival: Gold Medal, Special Jury Award, 1971

Wet Earth and Warm People (1971) Golden Gate International Film Festival, San Francisco: Honourable Mention, Sociological Studies of Specific Groups or Lifestyles in a Society, 1972 Atlanta Film Festival, Atlanta: Bronze Medal, Feature, 1972 Melbourne International Film Festival, Melbourne: Diploma of Merit, 1972

The Man Who Can’t Stop (1973) Chicago International Film Festival, Chicago: Certificate of Merit, 1974

Waiting for Fidel (1974) American Film and Video Festival, New York: Red Ribbon, World Concerns, 1976

Bate’s Car: Sweet as a Nut (1974) Biofest, Novi Sad, Yugoslavia: Award of Merit, 1976

The Walls Come Tumbling Down (1976) American Film and Video Festival, New York: Blue Ribbon Award, Citizen Action, 1978

Where Have All the Maoists Gone? (1978) International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany: Interfilm Award, 1978

Solzhenitsyn’s Children…Are Making a Lot of Noise in Paris (1979) International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany: International Evangelical Award, 1979

Daisy: The Story of a Facelift (1982) Melbourne International Film Festival, Melbourne: Diploma of Merit, 1983 Uppsala International Short Film Festival, Uppsala, Sweden: Best Documentary Film, 1984 American Film and Video Festival, New York: Blue Ribbon Award, Mental Health/Health/Guidance, 1984

The Peanut Butter Solution (1985) Giffoni Film Festival, Giffoni Valle Piana, Italy: Gold Medal, 1986 Laon International Film Festival for Young People, Laon, France: Public's Choice Award, 1986

Vincent and Me 1990 Daytime Emmy Awards, New York: Outstanding Children's Special, 1991 Wisconsin International Children's Film Festival, Milwaukee: WisKid Award, Full-Length Feature, 1991