MOTORSPORT: Brabham film well worth the wait

The long-awaited documentary BRABHAM went up on the big screen yesterday with a premiere at the Brisbane International Film Festival.

It's a brilliant piece of film-making, even though it's been done without a big budget and within the constraints of the inevitably limited archival footage of Australia's triple world driving champion Sir Jack Brabham, whose Formula 1 career ended almost 50 years ago.

None of the Brabham family were sighted at the premiere, although sons Geoffrey and David are understood to have seen the 84-minute film.

Nor was there any evidence of any other Australian motor racing 'royalty' at Readings Cinema 2 at Newmarket in Brisbane's inner north, or any semblance of a media launch.

The theatre was barely two-thirds full.

The film will be shown there again on Wednesday and will be available initially through FanForce for individuals, groups or organisations to arrange their own screenings.

Early next year there will be some more traditional distribution and some extra promotion around the time of Melbourne's season-opening Grand Prix in March.

It's an unusual roll-out, but the film nonetheless fills what for so long has been a void - a great Australian story hitherto untold in this form.

As Lewis Hamilton closes on what not so long ago looked like unbreakable records set by Michael Schumacher (91 GP wins and seven world titles), BRABHAM the documentary may awaken the public to the reality that Sir Jack's greatest achievement - his third world title in 1966 in a car of his own construction, the Repco-engined Brabham BT19 - is far less likely to be repeated, let alone surpassed.

It belatedly does some justice to the role of Ron Tauranac in Sir Jack's success through an interview with the aged designer. The T in BT of the various Brabham models is in gratitude of Tauranac.

There are the interviews with great driving rivals too, but what really puts BRABHAM in perspective for those unfamiliar with the whole story are the unlikely contributions of British cultural commentator Grayson Perry and the historical context from veteran scribe Doug Nye.

There's some particularly clever animation too. Unusual but effective.

BRABHAM is more than the story of a great racing career. It delves into Sir Jack's interaction - or more pertinantly non-interaction - with his family.

Much of that will not be new to those who knew Sir Jack or followed his life closely, but it will be enlightening to others.
Youngest son David tells of his often-strained relationship with his father, a man of few words, a master practitioner of tough love.

While none of the sons could have emulated Sir Jack's feats, Geoff and David achieved much - including victories in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The film concludes with what is a very big plug for David's BT62 project - the $2 million-plus hypercar being built in Adelaide.

While that project has its doubters, it has been the one thing keeping the Brabham legend 'alive' in the public eye until the arrival of this documentary.

Invariably such films attract criticism, but in this observer's eyes BRABHAM far exceeds expectations.

A big tick, especially to director Akos Armont and producer Antony Waddington.

A job very well done.