Acclaimed actor and art enthusiast Rachel Griffiths returns to the ABC in When The War Is Over, a powerful new series that explores how art and pop culture help us understand and heal from war, premiering Tuesday 18 November at 8pm with all episodes available to stream the same day on ABC iview.
Across five episodes, Rachel explores the game-changing songs, iconic paintings, blockbuster films, best-selling books, jaw-dropping artworks and spine-tingling performances that have helped transform Australians’ understanding of our five major wars: World War I, World War II, Vietnam, Afghanistan and the Australian Wars.
A descendent of WWI veterans at Gallipoli, Rachel visits key battlegrounds across the globe – in Türkiye, Vietnam and Thailand. Back in Australia, she meets artists, veterans, curators and historians, exploring the unheralded role of art in war, both in the midst of battle and for the generations that follow. From Jimmy Barnes belting out Khe Sanh to Ben Quilty’s haunting portraits of Afghanistan war veterans, this is a richly layered series about the real-world impact of art on all of us, on both a personal and national level.
When The War Is Over is a provocative and moving examination of how art challenges our myths, memorialises trauma, and redefines heroism, and importantly, the series confronts the legacy of the Australian Wars, an often-overlooked chapter in Australia’s war history.
When The War Is Over:
- Episode One: Gallipoli & WWI
- Episode Two: Vietnam War
- Episode Three: Afghanistan War
- Episode Four: Changi - WWII
- Episode Five: The Australian Wars
PRODUCTION CREDITS
Commissioned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. A Mint Pictures production in association with Magdalene Media, financed by the ABC and Screen Australia with development funding from Screen NSW. Series Director: Sophie Meyrick. Series Producer: Ili Bare. Executive Producers: Dan Goldberg, Rachel Griffiths, Craig Graham. ABC Commissioning Editor: Rachel Robinson. ABC Head of Arts, Music & Events: Kath Earle. Host: Rachel Griffiths.
