‘The Koalas’: A documentary about survival

Local filmmakers Gregory Miller and Georgia Wallace-Crabbe have produced a very important documentary which all Australians should watch.

Entitled The Koalas, the project was four years in the making and is aptly a movie about survival.  It delves on the plight of the koalas; their threatened extinction in the wild which is anticipated around 2050.

“This documentary sets out to tell different stories about koalas and the issues they’re facing but join them all up across the landscapes and it adds up to the big picture where you understand the landscape connectivity,” explained Crabbe.

The government is claiming they are doing what they can to stop their extinction, with a koala recovery strategy in place, which includes researchers and research projects studying the animals, but ultimately the issue is habitat.

“Human development is a danger to koalas. Their habitat is incrementally being lost to housing developments, mining and continual logging of forests. All of these are adding up to lost habitat and one third of the species has already been lost to the NSW bush fires of 2019 – 20,” she said.

The filmmakers found it shocking to hear certain government ministers claiming that development proposals like Southwest Sydney would knock out important koala colonies, and then saying, ‘but that’s ok, because we have koalas somewhere else in the state’.

“This is so clearly misrepresenting the precariousness of the koala colonies that are surviving in NSW. There may be koalas now but that doesn’t mean they will be here in the future as the colony numbers are crashing,” warned Crabbe.

This documentary highlights that koalas were once vulnerable but are now an endangered species. Filmed up and down the Eastern coast there are many stories told, with interviews by environment scientists and animal carers.

“This documentary investigates how extinction happens, and we try to create a narrative where people might understand that it’s a death by a thousand cuts that leads to that outcome. If we really care we can turn this around, but we have to be more active as wildlife watchers and as carers.”

When asked what message this documentary sends to audiences Crabbe was quick to respond.

“Nature matters and if you want native animals to live in nature, we and the government must get active and defend the needs of native species – a habitat to roam and breed.”

The Koalas is suitable for all audiences. It’s G-rated and has a running time of 90 minutes. There is an educational version in the works for primary schools. Currently this documentary is touring throughout the country but further screenings in Sydney will follow.

“It’s not explicit. We talk about habitat loss and the demise of koalas but the koalas you see on screen are very much alive. You get to know koalas and it’s very engaging,” concluded Crabbe.

Keep an eye out! Returning to Sydney for further screenings in the near future…