ABC has released a first look of Tampa: The Turning Point ahead of its premiere on September 1.
The premium three-series tells the explosive story of the 2001 Tampa crisis and its global impact as the world continues to grapple with a massive migration crisis.
In August 2001, when a leaky Indonesian boat breaks down in the Indian Ocean, the Norwegian freighter MV Tampa saves hundreds from drowning. Australia refuses the shipwrecked survivors, triggering an extraordinary eight-day standoff. Australia’s radical experiment to stop asylum seekers was internationally condemned for its brutality, but 25 years later, it’s becoming the norm worldwide. Told by those who were there, this gripping three-part series reveals the global reverberations of a dramatic chapter in Australian history.
Among the cast of contributors from 2001: PM John Howard, FM Alexander Downer, Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock, MV Tampa Captain Arne Rinnan, First Mate Christian Maltau, Norwegian Ambassador to Australia Ove Thorsheim, New Zealand PM Helen Clark, Indonesian FM Hassan Wirajuda, Federal Court judge Justice Tony North, plus several Tampa survivors and a clutch of international experts, including United Nations ambassadors, diplomats, journalists and others.
Production Credits: Tampa: The Turning Point is a Mint Pictures production for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Major production investment from the ABC and Screen Australia. Financed in association with Screen NSW. Developed with assistance of the ABC and Screen Australia. Producer: Dan Goldberg. Executive Producer: Craig Graham. Series Director: Kriv Stenders. Series Producer: Ili Baré. Story consultants: David Marr and Marian Wilkinson. Consulting producer: Simon Nasht. Development & Story producer: Deborah Richards. Senior researcher: Anna Cater. Original concept: Dr Julie Macken and Miriam Pellicano. ABC Commissioning Editor: Stephen Oliver. ABC Head of Documentary and Specialist: Susie Jones. Worldwide distribution by ABC Commercial.
Tampa: The Turning Point premieres Tuesday, 1 September at 8.30pm on ABC (all episodes on iview).
