The Pursuit of Happiness

As Screened on ABC and TVNZ
83 mins 1987 Rated G

Filmed in the mid 1980s, THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS is the story of a family drawn into conflict as the controversy surrounding U.S. nuclear warship visits to the port of Fremantle begins to affect their personal lives.

Today, 40 years later, as Australia continues to be tied into U.S, strategies, facilities and weaponry for fighting a nuclear war, this historic film remains disturbingly relevant.

The film’s unique mixture of fictional drama and documentary reality explores the parallels between the ties that bind couples and nations.

For more information and fundraising bookings, contact screenings@balladfilms.com.au.

Timely and provocative – Canberra Times

Hard-hitting, well-directed and acted – Daily Mirror

A passionate political film – David Stratton

About the film - Synopsis

-The port of Fremantle is gearing up for the America’s Cup yacht race and a visit from a US nuclear fleet. Anna’s daughter Mandy joins the anti-nuclear movement and Anna begins to question Australia’s relationship with its “great and powerful friend”. With the arrival of the warships, public controversy affects Anna’s relationship with her husband John.

Although The Pursuit of Happiness was produced in the mid-1980s, Australia still remains firmly tied into U.S. strategies, facilities and weaponry for fighting a nuclear war and Australians are returning to the questions of forty years ago: does the Australia-US military alliance threaten our nation’s independence and peace and, ultimately, our very survival.

The Pursuit of Happiness features actors and local residents, scripted scenes amidst actual events, military/nuclear experts and popular opinion. It offers strong performances from actors Laura Black, Peter Hardy and teen-age singer Anna Gare of the 80s band The Jam Tarts. Drama merges with documentary through a surprising range of real life personalities including Nuclear Disarmament Party Senator Jo Valentine, the Fremantle mayor and councillors, war veterans on Anzac Day, wharfie Vigilance Officer Norm Pickles, Rear Admiral U.S. Navy (ret. ) Gene La Roque, and Strategic Analyst Andrew Mack, among others. Indeed, actor Fred Astaire and US Ambassador Edward Clark make striking on-screen appearances as well. Among the extras are local teen-agers, sailors en masse from the USS Enterprise and sheep in the harbour being loaded for overseas slaughter.

Support for the film included assistance and investment from over 200 concerned individuals and organisations and the proceeds of the sale of the Victoria Cross won at Gallipoli by H.V.H. Throssell.

Why this film now?

Once more the risk of nuclear war is rising: The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists recently set its famous Doomsday Clock to 85 seconds to midnight, indicating a threat of annihilation even greater than in the 1980s with its rapid increase of US and Soviet stockpiles of nuclear weapons. It was then that the international peace movement encouraged political leaders to defrost the cold war and the hands of the clock were turned back by 14 minutes. In Australia The Pursuit of Happiness contributed to that movement.

Today anti-nuclear activity is reviving as President Trump refuses to extend the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty and AUKUS enmeshes Australia further in U.S. military strategies, facilities and weaponry. It’s time to give peace everything we’ve got and local film screenings can attract interest in your group..

The central dramatic metaphor of The Pursuit of Happiness is the relationship of Anna with her husband John, paralleling the relationship of Australia with the United States. In its documentary elements, the film observes the arrival of a US nuclear fleet and brings expert testimony to the history of the alliance, the threat of nuclear war and the nature of the US facilities in Australia.

As a bonus we get glimpses of Australian life forty years ago: Fremantle port town and harbour, Anzac Day, a pin ball parlour, the tally room during a state election, the local peace movement, Fremantle council in session and a great band performance with Lucky Oceans and The Jam Tarts.

The Pursuit of Happiness is available to help your group entertain, educate and grow.
Contact: screenings@balladfilms.com.

Host a screening

The Pursuit of Happiness can be screened either in a cinema or in a community hall. We can send you files formatted for both kinds of venues.

Your group can raise funds while it raises awareness! We are able to send you the film for a very low fee, regardless of how many screenings you organise.
$70 for a file straight to the cinema
$10 for you to download the community file

The Pursuit of Happiness is 83 minutes long, which allows for a half-hour post-screening discussion with a “name” host who might attract a larger audience.

We will provide publicity material for social media and press releases, along with electronic stills and poster.

We are happy to talk with you about any issues or plans you might have.
Please get in touch: screenings@balladfilms.com.au

The Filmmakers

Martha Ansara Producer/ Director
Martha is a long time peace activist and organiser as well as being a veteran Australian filmmaker and former cinematographer. She has been inaugurated into the Australian Cinematographers Society Hall of Fame, is a Life Member of the Australian Directors Guild and a recipient of the prestigious Byron Kennedy Award from the Australian Film Institute. For more information, see wikipedia.

Kit Guyatt – Editor/Associate Producer
Kit began his career at the Commonwealth Film Unit, now Film Australia. He later became a freelance director and editor working for organisations such as the BBC, ABC, Australian Religious Film Society, National Catholic Radio and Television Centre, and the Arts Council of Australia. As well as producing and directing his own films, Kit worked with directors including Phil Noyce, Tom Cowan, and Gillian Armstrong editing shorts, documentaries and feature films.

Jan Preston – Composer
Jan is a classically trained pianist and a former New Zealand rock musician who now tours as “Australasia’s Queen of Boogie Piano”. Working between Australia and New Zealand, she has composed music for hundreds of documentaries, documentary series, dramas and educational films, notably the Theme to ABC TV’s Australian Story (2000 to 2006), The Diplomat (2000), Bastard Boys (2007), Home by Christmas (2010), The Hungry Tide (2011), My Year with Helen (2017), Women of Steel (2020) and The Cancer Killers (2025). The Pursuit of Happiness was one of her earlier feature films.