SBS’s collection of documentaries, Australia Uncovered, returns to SBS and SBS On Demand on Thursday 8 February from 8:40 pm.
A curated strand of four stand-alone documentaries will explore untold Australian stories and reveal new insights into some of the biggest issues facing Australians today.
Episode 1 – Hitler’s Jewish Soldier? – Thursday 8 February on SBS and SBS On Demand from 8:40 pm
Hitler’s Jewish Solider? investigates if Hitler’s youngest soldier, nicknamed “The Mascot’s” survival story – as well as the discovery of his long-lost Jewish family in the late 1990s – is in fact true. Jewish journalist and director Dan Goldberg investigates across the globe in a bid to solve the mystery.
Dan Goldberg, creative director, Mint Pictures, said: “This story crossed my desk in 2012 when I was a correspondent filing for Jewish newspapers in America, Canada, Europe, and Israel. Initially it struck me as a possible Holocaust hoax, and so I travelled from Sydney to Melbourne to interview this legendary ‘Mascot,’ then in his late 70s, in person. I filed several stories about this alleged hoax, which were syndicated around the world. Like most news, the story petered out and I went back to making documentaries.
“Until mid-2020 when, out of the blue, I received a call from The Mascot. What he told me triggered a moral obligation to file a new story. It quickly became evident that this truth-is- stranger-than-fiction story would make a ripping feature documentary. The end result is a staggering story that provokes bigger questions about secrets and lies, fact and fiction, family, and identity.”
Hitler’s Jewish Soldier? is a Mint Pictures production for SBS. Principal production funding from Screen Australia and SBS. Financed with support from Screen NSW.
Episode 2 – Last Chance to Save a Life – Thursday 15 February on SBS and SBS On Demand from 8:40 pm.
Last Chance to Save a Life follows patients, doctors, and scientists in real-time as they experience the potential and challenges of ‘phage therapy:’ an elusive therapy that could hold the key to humanity’s survival.
Last Chance to Save a Life is a Genepool Productions film for SBS. Principal production funding from Screen Australia and SBS. Financed with support from VicScreen.
Episode 3 – The Carnival – Thursday 22 February on SBS and SBS On Demand from 8:40 pm.
The Carnival follows the six-generation travelling show family The Bells as they journey across the country with their convoy of trucks and workers, battling not only to keep Australia’s oldest show on the road – but also to keep their family’s legacy alive.
The Carnival is a Sideshow Films production for SBS. Principal production funding from Screen Australia in association with Shark Island Foundation. Financed with support from Screen NSW, Torchlight Media and JOTZ productions.
Episode 4 – Psychedelics: Stepping into the Unknown – Thursday 29 February on SBS and SBS On Demand from 8:40 pm.
The fourth documentary investigates the question of could psychedelic-assisted therapy hold the answer to the global mental illness epidemic?
Psychedelics: Stepping into the Unknown is a Blackfella Films production. Principal production funding from Screen Australia in association with SBS. Financed with support from VicScreen.