Synopsis
Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen reigned over Queensland for 19 tumultuous years (1968–1987). Hugely popular, he presided over enormous growth, but corruption raged under his tenure, as did electoral manipulation and often violent suppression of dissent. This film tells Joh’s story through rare archival footage and revelatory interviews, exploring a life shaped by a hard yakka, god-fearing upbringing on his family’s farm. Trump’s spectre is evoked in Joh’s famously mangled and meandering way of speaking – brilliantly dramatised by Richard Roxburgh – alongside his unyielding execution of power and the desperate denial of his final days in office.
Ratings
IMDb6.5/10
Key crew
- Kriv StendersDirector
- Kriv StendersWriter
- Matthew CondonWriter
Cast
- Joh Bjelke-PetersenSelf (archival)
- Matthew CondonSelf
- Bob KatterSelf
- Richard RoxburghJoh Bjelke-Petersen
- Lindy MorrisonSelf
- Ed KuepperSelf
- John HowardSelf
- David LittleproudSelf
Stills
Themes
australian politicsqueensland, australiaqueensland