FILM AUSTRALIA COLLECTION

Title Details

Toula

A young woman living in a Greek migrant community in Sydney desperately wants to become a modern Australian, but in order to do so she comes into conflict with conservative family values.
Series : Three to Go | Episode : 3 | Year : 1969 | Total Duration : 29 Minutes | Producer : Gil Brealey
Director : Oliver Howes |
Greek Orthodox church. Car with Greek driving school sign on roof. Street with Greek shops, hotel, man washing car, children playing, group of men standing in doorway. Terrace house. Toula her parents and grandmother walk along street past Greek delicatessen, interior shop. Toula and family get onto bus. Harbour side park, Greek families kicking ball and having picnic. Toula and friend Assima talk. Pool hall, Toula's brother Stavros, playing snooker with friends. Toula in vegetable shop. Walks past Greek shops to work at textile factory. Toula and Assima chatting about boyfriends. Assima and her Australian boyfriend in car and walking, holding hands barefoot on the beach. Toula and Assima chatting in bedroom. Men playing cards and talking at club. Assima's brother Nick arrives home and argues with Assima about her Australian boyfriend, slaps her. Stavros, argues with Father. Parents talk. Grandmother talks about returning to Greece. Quicktime clip available.
Access No. 123060 | 8 mins 2 secs | 1960s | Sydney, NSW, Australia | © Restricted Access - Contact Film Australia Collection Library | B&W |
Stavros and friend watch soccer game. Toula ironing, mother and grandmother sewing. Toula looks out of window to woman walking along street, couple walking. Three women talk in Greek about Toula's prospective date. Toula and family at Greek dance. People drinking and eating. Young man (Lex Marinos) talks to Toula who ignores him as another (Joe Hasham) approaches table and asks her father if he can ask Toula to dance. Grandmother and other elderly woman watch and talk. Greek man waits outside textile factory for Toula. Couple walk along street, talking. Enter garden of deserted house and kiss. Toula leaves. Toula buying mascara at shop. Putting on make up. Father stops her from leaving house. Toula washes off make up and changes out of mini skirt. Throws it out of window to Assima and changes back into it in public toilet. Couples walk past shops and arrive at cinema where Easy Rider is playing. Quicktime clip available.
Access No. 123131 | 10 mins 40 secs | 1960s | Sydney, NSW, Australia | © NFSA | B&W |
Stavros and Greek shopkeeper Nick talking to sales representative. Woman enters shop to use public telephone, complains about smell of Greek cheese. Stavros enters kitchen. Father and he talk about work on the Snowy Mountains scheme or going to university. They argue. Father asks son to help him read a form. Greek cakes and pastries. Women buying cakes, Greek church (Saint Spyridon Kingsford). Woman polishing dyed eggs,Greek family making preparations for Easter. Boys set off firecrackers in street. Toula lights candle and making wish, family gather at table for meal. Stavros gives father money from work. Father talks of son bettering himself. Family make cross before eating. Easter ceremony in Greek Orthodox church (Saint Sophia Paddington). Candles lit. Toula and family in congregation. Priests. People leave church and kiss, tension with brother Stavros. Toula talks to boyfriend. Church, people gathered at night with candles. Toula and family return home together. Quicktime clip available.
Access No. 123136 | 8 mins 45 secs | 1960s | Sydney, NSW, Australia | © NFSA | B&W |