Mint Pictures is in production on a major three-part series on the Tampa affair – the dramatic eight-day showdown at sea in 2001 that triggered a diplomatic standoff between Canberra, Jakarta and Oslo.
Scheduled to air on the 25th anniversary of the affair, ‘Tampa: The Ship That Turned The Tide’ remains one of the most explosive chapters in Australia history.
It continues to reverberate not just in Australia but around the globe, marking a turning point in attitudes towards refugees in the UK, Europe and the US.
The 433 refugees rescued by the Tampa in 2001 were refused safe harbour in Australia by John Howard’s government, igniting a storm of protest around the world.
A quarter of a century later, many of those same countries that howled their protests at Australia are now adopting and adapting John Howard’s policy.
The three-part series is directed by Kriv Stenders (Red Dog, Joh: The Last King of Queensland, Sam Neill’s The Pacific), series produced by Ili Baré, produced by Dan Goldberg and executive produced by Craig Graham.
The series is supported by the ABC, Screen Australia and Screen NSW. The international distributor is ABC Commercial.
