Mike and Stefani

Mike and Stefani

A moving tale of the transition of a family of displaced persons from their refugee huts in Germany to their new homeland in Australia. To make Mike and Stefani, DOI Film Unit staffers, director Ron Maslyn Williams and cinematographer Reg Pearse travelled to Europe, selected their subject family, and shot a reenactment of their travails up to that time. They followed them through all the processes of selection for Australian migration and journeyed with them to Australia.

The film had a two-fold purpose: to counter criticism within Australia that immigration selection procedures for displaced persons were inadequate and that ‘undesirables’ were slipping through the net; and to encourage Australians to accept the sudden influx of non-British immigrants in the immediate post-war years. Nearly sixty years on, its subject matter is as timeless and relevant as ever…

Further information:

Mike and Stefani - NFSA Collection Title No. 17355

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