David Parer
David Parer is an Australian natural history film maker.
Parer was conscripted into the Australian Army to go to the Vietnam War in 1970, but he entered a Masters program to study physics in the Antarctic. Parer spent the summers of 1970 and 1972 in Antarctica studying cosmic rays at Mawson Base. While there he filmed his first documentary. David subsequently joined the Australian Broadcasting Corporation ABC Natural History Unit making wildlife films. He met his wife and fellow film maker, Elizabeth Parer-Cook, in 1977.
Awards
Parer's films have won over 130 Australian and international awards including the Golden Panda at Wildscreen twice and three Emmy's.[1]
He was awarded Golden Panda from Wildscreen (known as the green Oscars) for:
- Wolves of the Sea, Gold Panda for Best Film at Wildscreen 1994
- Mysteries of the Ocean Wanderers, Gold Panda Best Cinematography Wildscreen 1994
- Dragons of Galapagos, Gold Panda Wildscreen 1998
He has been awarded the AFI award for the best cinematography for a non-feature film four times, for :
- Edge of the Cold, 1978
- Bird of the Thunder Woman, 1980
- Dragons of Galapagos, 1998
- Island of the Vampire Birds, 1999
His other work as a cinematographer and producer includes:
- Douglas Mawson: The Survivor, 1983
- The Frozen World, 1984
- Nature of Australia: A Portrait of the Island Continent: A Separate Creation, 1988
- Killer Whales: Wolves of the Sea, 1993
- Platypus: World's Strangest Animal, 2003
- Terrors of Tasmania, 2004
- Australia: Land of Parrots, 2008
- Out of the Ashes, 2011
Many of Parer's documentaries have been narrated by noted naturalist David Attenborough.
Parer received an Honorary Doctor of Science from Monash University, Melbourne 17 March 1989.[2][3]
Parer gained "legend status" at St Patrick's College Old Collegians' Association. He attended college there from 1962 to 1964.[4]
His uncle was Academy Award-winning war cinematographer, Damien Peter Parer, who filmed Kokoda Front Line in 1944 in Papua New Guinea.
References
- "David Parer ACS - Australian Cinematographers Society". www.cinematographer.org.au. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
- "1980-1989 Roll of Honorary Graduates". Monash university. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- Crompton, Richard (1 January 1989). "Honorary Doctor of Science David Parer (right) with brother Michael". Item held by Monash University Archives. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
- Media, Australian Community Media - Fairfax (11 March 2016). "Legend status for filmmaker". The Courier. Retrieved 21 February 2017.