Action! Film and War exhibition runs at Museum and Art Gallery NT from February 15

A touring exhibition showcasing the role of film in documenting, promoting, reporting and recreating events in Australia’s military history opens its doors this weekend in the Top End. find out where.

A new touring exhibition showcasing the role of film in documenting, promoting, reporting on and recreating events in Australia’s military history opens its doors this weekend at Darwin’s top museum. Picture: Supplied

A new touring exhibition showcasing the role of film in documenting, promoting, reporting on and recreating events in Australia’s military history opens its doors this weekend at Darwin’s top museum.

Opening on February 15, the exhibition – Action! Film and War – at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT) explores the role moving image has played in remembering and recreating the Australian experience of war.

The exhibition explores the role of moving image. February 2025. Picture: Supplied

The exhibition looks at feature film narratives which collectively share war stories and frame how history is remembered, and includes a wide range of technology, artworks, posters, paper records, photographs, oral histories and moving pictures to tell the story.

Action! Film and War, previously taken to Tasmania, Queensland and New South Wales, is the largest touring exhibition the Australian War Memorial has taken on the road.

Australian War Memorial’s curator of photographs, film and sound Daniel Eisenberg with some of the old cameras used on war fronts. Picture: Supplied

Daniel Eisenberg, the Australian War Memorial’s curator of photographs, film and sound, said there was plenty on display for those interested.

“They’ll see a wide range of cameras and recording equipment across the last hundred years of cinema,” he said.

“They’ll get to see objects used like notepads used by those in the field, you get to see Australia’s first Academy Award (commonly known as an Oscar), a Star Wars action figure, and the dress from The Sapphires, stunt harnesses, T-shirts and more.”

The dress from The Sapphires was on display at Action! Film and War. Picture: Supplied

Mr Eisenberg hoped the exhibition would be popular in Darwin due to its defence population.

“One of the great things about touring exhibitions is bringing the collections to the people,” he said.

“We’re really hoping that it’ll speak to the defence population here being a garrison city.

“But it also gives Australians an understanding and experience of what goes on behind the camera, to see beyond the screen and find out how their favourite movie was made or where that footage actually came from.”

Australia's first Academy Award was on display at Action! Film and War. Picture: Supplied

According to his daughter’s analysis, Mr Eisenberg just “goes to meetings and watches movies” – but he says it means much more than that.

“Going to film festivals with my dad, understanding something as it happened and the storytelling element … was what got me interested in film.”

“People’s stories deserve to be told and shared … that’s why film is important.

“It’s not the worst thing to have as a job.”

Action! Film and War runs until June 1, 2025.