Michael Rubbo

Biography

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.

Directed

1. The Peanut Butter Solution (1985) — Director
2. Tommy Tricker and the Stamp Traveller (1988) — Director
3. Much Ado About Something (2001) — Director
4. Vincent and Me (1990) — Director
5. The Return of Tommy Tricker (1994) — Director
6. Waiting for Fidel (1975) — Director
7. Sad Song of Yellow Skin (1970) — Director
8. Margaret Atwood: Once in August (1984) — Director
9. Adventures (1968) — Director
10. That Mouse (1967) — Director
11. Log House — Director
12. OK ... Camera (1972) — Director
13. Persistent and Finagling (1971) — Director
14. Daisy: The Story of a Facelift (1982) — Director
15. Wet Earth and Warm People (1971) — Director
16. Murder on the Shanghai (2012) — Director
17. Sir! Sir! (1968) — Director
18. I Am an Old Tree — Director
19. Atwood and Family (1985) — Director
20. Adieu Alouette (1973) — Director

Also appeared in

1. Much Ado About Something (2001) — Himself
2. Waiting for Fidel (1975) — Self
3. Sad Song of Yellow Skin (1970) — Narrator
4. Margaret Atwood: Once in August (1984) — Himself
5. Unfinished Diary (1982) — The husband