
Michael Rubbo
Michael Rubbo is an Australian documentary filmmaker, screenwriter, and director known for his innovative and personal approach to nonfiction storytelling. A longtime contributor to the National Film Board of Canada, Rubbo crafted documentaries that blended observation with subjective narration, often inserting himself into the narrative—a style that influenced later generations of documentary filmmakers. His notable works include Sad Song of Yellow Skin (1970), which explored the impact of the Vietnam War on civilians, and Waiting for Fidel (1974), a unique take on political documentary. Beyond documentaries, Rubbo also directed children’s films such as The Peanut Butter Solution (1985) and later pursued a career as an author and painter, continuing his creative exploration across different mediums.
19 directing credits · 5 acting credits
Directing · 19

Tommy Tricker and the Stamp Traveller
1988

Vincent and Me
1990

The Peanut Butter Solution
1985

The Return of Tommy Tricker
1994
I Am an Old Tree
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Waiting for Fidel
1975
Log House
—

Much Ado About Something
2001

Daisy: The Story of a Facelift
1982
Sir! Sir!
1968

Wet Earth and Warm People
1971

Margaret Atwood: Once in August
1984

Adventures
1968
Adieu Alouette
1973

Sad Song of Yellow Skin
1970
OK ... Camera
1972
Persistent and Finagling
1971
Murder on the Shanghai
2012
That Mouse
1967
