This is a printer friendly page
Free for educational use

An Australian Greek Wife

Year of production - 1978
Duration - 2min 13sec
Tags - culture, diversity, gender, identity, immigration, multiculturalism, self concept, stereotypes, women, see all tags


An Australian Greek Wife

How to Download the Video Clip


download clip icon Premium MP4 georgetoula_pr.mp4 (16.4MB).


Additional help.

buy iconYou can buy this clip on a compilation DVD.

buy iconYou can buy the program this clip comes from.

About the Video Clip




Our Multicultural Society Series 1 was produced by Film Australia.

Curriculum Focus


This Digital Resource can be used to achieve the following outcomes:
P.7 A student describes the ways different technologies and media of production affect the language and structure of particular texts.
P.9 A student engages with a wide range of texts to develop a considered and informed personal response.


Background Information


Classroom Activities

  1. Discuss and write answers to the following questions.
    1. Toula represents a culture clash (traditional Greek wife versus modern Australian woman). Describe how she deals with this clash.
    2. What are predominant values and influences in Toula’s life — her belief in equality? Her feminism? Her relationship with George? Her Greek culture? Her Australian culture? Justify your answers.
    3. What are the costs and what are the benefits, to Toula for what she is doing?
  2. In small groups prepare a set of five questions that explore aspects of identity, the experience of life as a migrant and life in a multicultural society.
    1. As a class pool these questions and come up with a series of comments about life in Australia for a migrant.
    2. Compare these comments with a literary text, such as a film or novel that deals with migration or an everyday text, such as an official government website. Discuss the differences and similarites.
  3. Imagine that Toula is viewing the video clip today —30 years later. Write a 500-word monologue on what she might say. To do this you will first have to decide Toula’s situation today.

Literacy Activity: Focus = Listening / Reponding

  1. What job does Toula do? (1 mark)
  2. Why is she doing something ‘totally out of the ordinary’? (1 mark)
  3. Why is she determined to succeed? (1 mark)
  4. Why do we see a close-up of the books? (1 mark)
  5. What does she mean when she says; “I don’t want to be an appendage of a man”. (1 mark)

Further Resources


Drama Feature
Jan Sardi (director), Love’s Brother, Palace Films, Sydney, 2004

Melina Marchetta, Looking for Alibrandi, Penguin Books, Australia, 1992