Once Upon a Time in Punchbowl

Once Upon a Time in Punchbowl tells the inside story of the challenges the Lebanese Australian community has faced and how they have fought to overcome them.

This four-part documentary series hears from community leaders, police, families and individuals, as they combine to tell the compelling and dramatic story of a proud and resilient community, under intense pressure and scrutiny.

The story begins in the 1970s when large numbers of Lebanese migrants flooded into Australia. Many were Muslim, most were traumatised by civil war, and all were desperate to build a better future. Over the coming decades, these new Australians struggled to establish a new life in their adopted country. Domestic and global events were against them. The Gulf War, September 11 and the Bali bombings, all alienated them from their fellow Australians. The traditional Lebanese family units were fragmenting under the pressure. Things reached a terrible and inevitable climax when these tensions, inflamed by the media, erupted in the Cronulla Riots.

This is a community that has been besieged by events beyond their control for thirty years. No other migrant community in Australia has had to endure the same. But they have emerged stronger than ever with a resilience and strength that will carry them into the future.

Running time: 4x52 mins

Classification: M