The true crime genre is omnipresent within the Australian psyche. Regardless of whether you watch, read or listen, it is impossible to escape.
While the recent introduction of podcasting over the last decade has caused interest in true crime to skyrocket in Australia, our fascination with criminals, those who commit the vicious extremities of human behaviour, has always been present. But why? Why has this fascination been so prevalent in our nation’s culture that it defines us and what we represent? True Crime – an Australian Fascination is a 20-minute investigative documentary in which Thomas Hibberd tries to discover why Australians are drawn to stories of the illicit and the mental effects this overexposure could cause.
The documentary also examines Australian icon Ned Kelly and his significance for Australians. Through interviews with award-winning film directors, writers, film historians, podcast creators and leading criminal psychologists, we examine how the true crime genre has shaped our nation’s identity and how it affects the everyday Australian.
Interviews include: filmmaker Justin Kurzel, screenwriter Felicity Packard, podcaster Narelle Fraser, criminal psychologist Tim Watson-Munro and film historian Jenny Gall from the national film and sound archive.
