Our brand new series, I Was Actually There, premieres on ABC TV July 4.
Watch all episodes here on ABC iview from July 4. Accompanying podcast here.
What is it? I Was Actually There is a six-part documentary series and podcast, and the first out of my production company, Docker Media.
The series explores defining moments of our recent history through the eyes, ears and voices of those who witnessed them firsthand.
What interested us, is that our history is often reduced to bite-sized bits and facts. But it’s almost impossible to put yourself into these moments by reading a Wikipedia entry. When you hear the intimate details from regular people of what it was like to be inside these events, you realise history is so personal. And so individual. You and I could be standing next to each other in the midst of the same moment and yet the impact on each of us could be worlds apart.
Kirk Docker is one of Australia’s finest interviewers and storytellers. He is the co-creator and director of the ABC program You Can’t Ask That, now in its 7th season. The show has been awarded Rose d’Or, AACTA and Walkley awards and is the most successful format in ABC history, selling to 32 territories, and broadcast in 9 different languages world wide. When it comes to the content he creates, no subject is off-topic. Kirk’s interviewees range from ex-politicians to ice users to sexual assault survivors. He has a deep curiosity, compassion and playfulness that elicits honesty from his participants, many of whom have never sat in front of a camera before. Through thousands of hours of open dialogue, what’s become absolutely clear to Kirk is that every human, no matter what they believe or how high their stature, share a core value: the desire to be understood.
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YOU CAN'T ASK THAT
For 7 years I made a show for the ABC called You Can’t Ask That. There are 65 episodes over 7 seasons of the show. It is the most successful format in ABC history, with 35 seasons around the world in 9 languages.
For those that don’t know the show I’d describe it as an interview show, where each episode we focus on a misunderstood or marginalised group of Australians – it could be Muslims or people living with Schizophrenia or Bogans. All our participants live with a label. What we’re trying to do is go past this label and understand who they truly are. We do that by asking the questions you shouldn’t ask. Maybe you’d like to, but the questions are too rude or too insensitive or maybe you don’t have access to that person to ask it. Each person then gets to answer these questions however they like. The show only features people with first hand experience, so no experts or family speaking on anyone else’s behalf. Just a group of people with a label, talking about what it’s like to be them.
