The first book to examine the contribution of women film directors from Australia and New Zealand to world cinema.Jane Campion's highly acclaimed film, The Piano, finally brought international attention to the Australian film industry, but it was 25 years ago when Gillian Armstrong directed My Brilliant Career, and during this time there has been a significant body of work produced by women directors in Australia and New Zealand. Girls' Own Stories analyses the links between the short film, avant garde and mainstream, tracing how early themes are often reworked. Major preoccupations are evident, such as the position of women in colonial society; the dysfunctional or 'deviant' family; culture and ethnicity; power and sexuality; desire and deviance.