Directing
Michael Rubbo
EN, FR cinema · 27 credits
Born
31 December 1938 (age 87)
Birthplace
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Michael Rubbo is an Australian documentary filmmaker, screenwriter, and director known for his innovative and personal approach to nonfiction storytelling. A longtime contributor to the National Film Board of Canada, Rubbo crafted documentaries that blended observation with subjective narration, often inserting himself into the narrative—a style that influenced later generations of documentary filmmakers. His notable works include Sad Song of Yellow Skin (1970), which explored the impact of the Vietnam War on civilians, and Waiting for Fidel (1974), a unique take on political documentary. Beyond documentaries, Rubbo also directed children’s films such as The Peanut Butter Solution (1985) and later pursued a career as an author and painter, continuing his creative exploration across different mediums.
Known for
Filmography
Log House
Log House
Director
I Am an Old Tree
I Am an Old Tree
Producer, Writer, Editor, Director
Much Ado About Something
as Himself, Director
Maverick on a Mobile
1997
Maverick on a Mobile
Executive Producer
The Return of Tommy Tricker
Director, Writer
Vincent and Me
Director, Writer
Tommy Tricker and the Stamp Traveller
Director, Writer
Courage to Change
Producer
The Peanut Butter Solution
Director, Writer
Atwood and Family
Director, Screenplay
Margaret Atwood: Once in August
as Himself, Director
Unfinished Diary
as The husband
Challenger: An Industrial Romance
Co-Director, Associate Producer
Waiting for Fidel
as Self, Editor, Producer, Director
Cold Pizza
Producer
Wet Earth and Warm People
Writer, Editor, Director
Persistent and Finagling
1971
Persistent and Finagling
Writer, Director, Editor
Sad Song of Yellow Skin
as Narrator, Editor, Director
Adventures
Director, Writer, Editor
That Mouse
1967
That Mouse
Director, Screenplay