SBS Television has announced four new documentary commissions today. These include: Once Upon a Time in Carlton, Life on Us, Race for Beauty and Welcome to Puntland.
“SBS continues to lead the way with thought-provoking, bold and engaging documentaries,” said SBS Director of TV and Online Content Tony Iffland.
“Once Upon a Time in Carlton, Life on Us, Race for Beauty and Welcome to Puntland all reinforce SBS's commitment to telling Australia's important and inspiring stories.”
The third instalment in the 'Once Upon a Time' series, three-part series Once Upon a Time in Carlton explores the Italian migrant history in the Melbourne suburb of Carlton.
It begins in the 1940s when Carlton was a Jewish suburb rapidly being transformed by post WWII Italian migration. The series charts the struggles of migrant families who transform a working class suburb into a popular inner city eatery.
The second instalment of the series, 'Once Upon a Time in Punchbowl' is currently in production and will air in 2013. Once Upon a Time is produced by Northern Pictures for SBS.
Life on Us is a two-part series that looks at the human body as a walking ecosystem teeming with a wide variety of life forms in their trillions. These microbes have shaped evolution and changed the course of human history, determining people's health, life expectancy, physique and even behaviour. Life on Us is produced by Smith&Nasht for SBS.
Race For Beauty (working title) explores the new and increasingly controversial phenomenon of ethnic plastic surgery. Across Australia, people from a diverse range of ethnic and cultural backgrounds are going under the knife to eradicate their 'racial' features.
The documentary looks at what patients will have to go through to achieve their goal and what this means for multicultural Australia. Race for Beauty is produced by Prospero for SBS.
Finally, SBS has also commissioned Welcome to Puntland, the story of a Somali-Australian refugee who became the President of Somalia's Puntland State. Abdirahman Farole returned to Somalia to become the President of the semi-autonomous State of Puntland, home to one third of Somalia's population. Under President Farole, Puntland has enjoyed relative peace and prosperity.
The documentary begins at the crossroads as the President - and Puntland - face their greatest test: the pirates are back, Islamic militants are moving in and President Farole is determined to secure a final term in office to establish a democratic system of government. Welcome to Puntland is produced by Electric Pictures for SBS.
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