Bruce Beresford (b. 1940), director, made his first film while an undergraduate at the University of Sydney in the early 1960s. After graduating he went overseas, spending two years working as an editor in Nigeria before returning to London and a role with the British Film Institute. His first feature films The Adventures of Barry McKenzie (1972) and Barry McKenzie Holds his Own (1974) – both collaborations with Barry Humphries – achieved box-office success but were sourly received by critics. Regardless, they signalled Beresford’s emergence as a key figure in Australia's film renaissance, and he then cemented his standing with Don's Party (1976), The Getting of Wisdom (1977), Breaker Morant (1980), The Club (1980) and Puberty Blues (1981). His debut Hollywood feature, Tender Mercies (1983) earned him an Oscar nomination for best director. His 1989 film Driving Miss Daisy won four Academy Awards, including best picture – although Beresford himself was overlooked for nomination in the direction category. Subsequent projects include the films Black Robe (1991); Last Dance (1996); Paradise Road (1997); Mao’s Last Dancer (2009) and Ladies in Black (2018), and the TV miniseries Bonnie and Clyde (2013) and Roots (2016).
Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2003
© Robert McFarlane/Copyright Agency, 2024
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