Attenborough at 90: Life Behind the Lens
ABC, 7.40pm
As David Attenborough lies on his side next to Lonesome George, the ancient Pinta Island tortoise, and laments that George is the "last of his kind … a very important creature, he's focused our attention on the fragility of our environment", it is hard not to see the similarities. At 90, Attenborough is the last of his kind, a man whose authority is unquestionable, his enthusiasm boundless and his collection of khaki pants and blue shirts unmatched. This documentary goes behind the scenes with Attenborough over the seven years since he returned to TV in 2009 after a five-year semi-retirement. What comes through is his sense of humour (reminiscing over his ability to once do John Wayne's signature tight-buttocked walk), a still boyish interest in the world around him and an up-for-anything attitude. What is also fascinating is the work that goes into making Attenborough's signature nature documentaries (capturing four swans flying in formation is not as easy as you might think) and the crew's determination to keep pushing technological boundaries.
Louise Rugendyke
Building Star Trek
SBS, 8.35pm
Much like David Attenborough is strictly for the birds (as in likes them very, very much), this show celebrating the 50th anniversary of Star Trek is strictly for the nerds (as in, um, nerds). Also, at 90 minutes long, I'm pretty sure only the nerds are getting to the end of this (I cut out at the 60-minute mark). This documentary follows two US museums – the EMP Museum and the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, which are in a race to restore some original Star Trek props, including the TV show set that was basically sold for parts when the show was cancelled after three years. Meanwhile, scientists at New York University and the University of Rochester decide their time is better spent trying to recreate tractor beams and invisibility cloaks than looking for a cure for cancer or the Zika virus.
LR
movie Belle de Jour (1967)
World Movies (pay TV), 8.30pm
Adapted from a novel by Argentinian-born journalist and author Joseph Kessel, Luis Bunuel's Belle de Jour is the story of an upper-middle-class woman, Severine (Catherine Deneuve), who secretly works as a prostitute during the day. Much of the action occurs in an apartment where all manner of unusual clients gather (the most mysterious having a wooden box with an unseen buzzing thing inside). Severine also visits a bizarre collection of outcall clients, including a count with a don't-ask interest in a coffin and diaphanous robe. As with other surrealist classics, Belle de Jour switches effortlessly between reality and dream sequences. One feels certain about what is real and what is not, until an ending that bursts into a delirium of narrative twists. Belle de Jour is a masterpiece of seductive and elusive moments that has become once again current, with many millennials – the so-called "sugar babies" – taking a similar life path to Severine's.
Scott Murray
pay Dukale's Dream
Showcase, 9.30pm
An illuminating documentary in which Hugh Jackman and a poor Ethiopian coffee farmer named Dukale show how well-designed development projects and the fair trade movement can empower poor communities to build sustainable futures. The documentary begins in 2009 with Jackman and his wife, Deborra-Lee Furness, and World Vision Australia chief executive Tim Costello visiting Dukale and his family in their humble hut. At that stage, a simple methane converter had already made a huge difference to the family's lives, turning animal manure into gas for cooking and lighting, relieving them of the environmentally damaging chore of collecting firewood, and enabling the children to study after dark. World Vision was also helping Dukale develop his business and connecting him with a fair trade co-op. Years later, we see how Dukale has moved on in leaps and bounds and how Jackman's Laughing Man Foundation is helping others like Dukale. A welcome reminder that it is possible to make a difference.
Brad Newsome
