Bringemovies
← Browse Movies
Cracks in the Mask
TITLE DETAILS

Cracks in the Mask

1997-06-06 · 57 min · ★ 7.0

Documentary

A century ago the Torres Strait Island were the subjects of the famous Cambridge Anthropological Expedition - the resulting depletion of their cultural artifacts left them with nothing but a history of remembered loss. The only people in the Pacific to make elaborate turtleshell masks have none left - they are all in foreign museums. In a quest to reclaim the past, Ephraim Bani, a wise and knowledgeable Torres Strait Islander, travels with his wife to the great museums of Europe where his heritage lies. The film, an SBS Independent production, shows that the thickest of masks cracks when a descendant of the original owners enters a museum.

Open detail page

Trailers are previews, not full movies.

No authorized playback source configured. Use the legal watch options below.

Production details

Directors
Frances Calvert
Production companies
SBS Independent, Talking Pictures, SF DRS/ SRG SSR idée suisse, WDR
Countries
Australia
Status
Released

Top Cast

Ephraim BaniSelf / Narrator
Petharie BariSelf
Stewart CoulterSelf
Antonia LovelaceSelf
Charles HuntSelf
Anthony SheltonSelf
Jacques HainardSelf
Anita HerleSelf
Markus SchindlbeckSelf

Title information and images are supplied by TMDb. Explore our discovery guide for advice on comparing metadata and legal viewing options.

Where to watch

Availability provided by JustWatch via TMDb. Offers can change. Provider links are listed on TMDb; full playback requires a separately authorized source.

Availability not listed for this country.

Recommendations

Come See Me in the Good Light
★ 7.1
Come See Me in the Good Light2025Documentary

In an intimate and joyful story of love in the face of loss, celebrated poets Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley find strength—and unexpected hilarity—in what might be their final year together.

Baraka
★ 8.2
Baraka1992Documentary

A paralysingly beautiful documentary with a global vision—an odyssey through landscape and time—that attempts to capture the essence of life.

42 Up
★ 7.6
42 Up1999Documentary

Director Michael Apted revisits the same group of British-born adults after a 7 year wait. The subjects are interviewed as to the changes that have occurred in their lives during the last seven years.

Girl Rising
★ 7.0
Girl Rising2013Documentary

Nine filmmakers each profile a young girl from a different part of the world to weave a global tapestry of youth in the 21st century.

As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty
★ 7.8
As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty2000Documentary

A compilation of over 30 years of private home movie footage shot by Lithuanian-American avant-garde director Jonas Mekas, assembled by Mekas "purely by chance", without concern for chronological order.

Naqoyqatsi
★ 6.2
Naqoyqatsi2002Documentary

A visual montage portrait of our contemporary world dominated by globalized technology and violence.

35 Up
★ 7.6
35 Up1991Documentary

Director Michael Apted revisits the same group of British-born adults after a 7 year wait. The subjects are interviewed as to the changes that have occurred in their lives during the last seven years.

21 Up
★ 7.4
21 Up1977Documentary

After another 7 year wait, director Michael Apted revisits the same group of British-born children from Seven Up! and 7 Plus Seven. The subjects are interviewed as to the changes that have occurred in their lives during the last seven years.

Fuck
★ 6.4
Fuck2006Documentary

A documentary on the expletive's origin, why it offends some people so deeply, and what can be gained from its use.

My Mom Jayne
★ 8.0
My Mom Jayne2025Documentary

Through deeply personal interviews with her siblings and an examination of the photographs, letters, and belongings left behind, Mariska assembles a new portrait of her mother Jayne Mansfield, an extraordinary and complex woman.

Maidentrip
★ 7.1
Maidentrip2014Documentary

14-year-old Laura Dekker sets out on a two-year voyage in pursuit of her dream to become the youngest person ever to sail around the world alone.

28 Up
★ 7.5
28 Up1985Documentary

Just two years away from turning 30, participants in Michael Apted's documentary series are facing serious questions of identity and purpose, wondering whether they've found their place in the world.

Who Are You, Charlie Brown?
★ 6.9
Who Are You, Charlie Brown?2021Documentary

Lupita Nyong'o narrates a documentary about Peanuts and its creator, Charles M. Schulz. Famous fans—including Drew Barrymore, Kevin Smith, and Al Roker—share its influence on them, and a new animated story finds Charlie Brown on a quest.

180° South
★ 7.2
180° South2010Documentary

The film follows adventurer Jeff Johnson as he retraces the epic 1968 journey of his heroes Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins to Patagonia.

Sidney
★ 6.9
Sidney2022Documentary

This revealing documentary honors the legendary Sidney Poitier—iconic actor, filmmaker, and civil rights activist. Featuring interviews with Denzel Washington, Spike Lee, Halle Berry, and more.

Chronos
★ 7.5
Chronos1985Documentary

Carefully picked scenes of nature and civilization are viewed at high speed using time-lapse cinematography in an effort to demonstrate the history of various regions.

A Toxic Love Story
★ 6.4
A Toxic Love Story2026Documentary

A string of threatening emails escalates into a revenge plot involving a newly married US marshal and his ex-girlfriend.

Ex Libris: The New York Public Library
★ 6.4
Ex Libris: The New York Public Library2017Documentary

A documentary about how a dominant cultural and demographic institution both sustains their traditional activities and adapts to the digital revolution.

Beyond Infinity: Buzz and the Journey to Lightyear
★ 7.0
Beyond Infinity: Buzz and the Journey to Lightyear2022Documentary

Explore the evolution of Buzz Lightyear from toy to human in the making of Pixar’s Lightyear. Dive into the origin and cultural impact of everyone’s favorite Space Ranger, the art of designing a new “human Buzz,” and the challenges faced by the Lightyear crew along the way.

McQueen
★ 7.4
McQueen2018Documentary

Alexander McQueen's rags-to-riches story is a modern-day fairy tale, laced with the gothic. Mirroring the savage beauty, boldness and vivacity of his design, this documentary is an intimate revelation of McQueen's own world, both tortured and inspired, which celebrates a radical and mesmerizing genius of profound influence.

Similar titles

Ka Ho‘ina: Going Home
★ 7.0
Ka Ho‘ina: Going Home2014Documentary

Ka Hoʻina documents members of Hui Mālama I Nā Kūpuna O Hawaiʻi Nei's final repatriation of over 140 sets of iwi kupuna and provides an intimate look into the legacy forged by these committed and passionate few, ensuring that Hawaiians will mālama or care for kupuna for generations to come.

Le Grand Entretien avec Philippe Descola
Not rated
Le Grand Entretien avec Philippe Descola2023Documentary

Namatjira Project
Not rated
Namatjira Project2017Documentary

From the remote Australian desert to the opulence of Buckingham Palace - Namatjira Project is the iconic story of the Namatjira family, tracing their quest for justice.

88.9 Radio Redfern
★ 5.0
88.9 Radio Redfern1989Documentary

An observational documentary which looks at Sydney’s first community Aboriginal radio station, 88.9 Radio Redfern. Set against a backdrop of contemporary Aboriginal music, 88.9 Radio Redfern offers a special and rare exploration of the people, attitudes and philosophies behind the lead up to a different type of celebration of Australia’s Bicentennial Year. Throughout 1988, 88.9 Radio Redfern became an important focal point for communication and solidarity within the Aboriginal community. The film reveals how urban blacks are adapting social structures such as the mass media to serve their needs.

Wild Honey
Not rated
Wild HoneyDocumentary

Comitiva Esperança
Not rated
Comitiva Esperança1985Documentary

The Sun and Richard Lippold
★ 6.4
The Sun and Richard Lippold1966Documentary

Documentary examining the work of sculptor Richard Lippold, particular his sculpture of the sun at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Archipelago
★ 5.9
Archipelago2017Documentary

Men and women in the Horn of Africa and adjiacent regions of the Middle East tell stories of their relationships and contacts with demons and spirits in their life and culture.

One Heart: One Spirit
Not rated
One Heart: One Spirit2017Documentary

An Aboriginal Australian and Native American documentary narrated by award-winning actor Jack Thompson, One Heart-One Spirit tells the story of Kenneth Little Hawk, an elder Micmac/Mohawk performing artist, meeting the oldest surviving culture on the planet: the 40,000 year old Yolngu nation located in northern Australia.

The Ripple Effect
Not rated
The Ripple Effect2021Documentary

The Ripple Effect is a powerful documentary primarily centred around St Kilda legend and proud Noongar Nicky Winmar's generation-defining stand against racism at Victoria Park in 1993.

Cine de Emboscada
★ 10.0
Cine de Emboscada2017Documentary

Leaving Tracks
★ 7.5
Leaving Tracks2021Documentary

Leaving Tracks tells the intimate and compelling story of the founder of the Haas Moto Museum, and his immense impact on the lives of the custom builders whose masterpieces elevate the Museum to the pinnacle of its industry.

American Hardcore
★ 6.9
American Hardcore2006Documentary

Inspired by Steven Blush's book "American Hardcore: A tribal history" Paul Rachman's feature documentary debut is a chronicle of the underground hardcore punk years from 1979 to 1986. Interviews and rare live footage from artists such as Black Flag, Bad Brains, Minor Threat, SS Decontrol and the Dead Kennedys.

When You Listen to This Song
Not rated
When You Listen to This Song2025Documentary

In August 2021, writer Lola Lafon spent a night alone in the Annex of the Anne Frank Museum, where the young girl and her family hid from 1942 to 1944. This experience gave rise to a book, Quand tu écouteras cette chanson, and now its documentary adaptation. Over the course of a night, the author revisits her story. An inner journey around the figure of Anne Frank and the power of writing in the face of oblivion.

Etched in Bone
Not rated
Etched in Bone2018Documentary

Drawing on original footage from National Geographic, Etched in Bone explores the impact of one notorious bone theft by a member of the 1948 American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land. Hundred of bones were stolen and deposited in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC, until it became known to Arnhem elders in the late 1990s. The return of the sacred artefacts was called for, resulting in a tense standoff between indigenous tribespeople and the Department of Anthropology at the Smithsonian.

Sans Soleil
★ 7.5
Sans Soleil1983Documentary

A woman narrates the thoughts of a world traveler, meditations on time and memory expressed in words and images from places as far-flung as Japan, Guinea-Bissau, Iceland, and San Francisco.

Religulous
★ 7.0
Religulous2008Documentary

Commentator-comic Bill Maher plays devil's advocate with religion as he talks to believers about their faith. Traveling around the world, Maher examines the tenets of Christianity, Judaism and Islam and raises questions about homosexuality, proof of Christ's existence, Jewish Sabbath laws, violent Muslim extremists.

Too Many Captain Cooks
Not rated
Too Many Captain Cooks1989Documentary

For both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians, Captain James Cook is a figure of great historical significance.

Gulpilil: One Red Blood
★ 6.8
Gulpilil: One Red Blood2002Documentary

An hour-long documentary on the life and career of actor David Gulpilil.

In My Own Words
Not rated
In My Own Words2017Documentary

The raw, heartfelt and often funny journey of adult Aboriginal students and their teachers as they discover the transformative power of reading and writing for the first time.

Your favorites

Recently viewed

Watch

Choose an authorized server.

Full video from an operator-configured authorized source. Official trailers use a separate player. If a server fails, retry or select another authorized server.

Legal watch options

Official trailer

Trailer preview only. Press Play to start.

Privacy choices

Favorites stay in your browser. Movie images load from TMDb. YouTube trailers contact YouTube only after you allow external media and choose a trailer. Advertising consent, if ads are enabled, is managed separately by the operator’s certified CMP.

Privacy policy

After allowing external media, choose the trailer button to load its player.