X

Join or Sign In

Sign in to customize your TV listings

Continue with Facebook Continue with email

By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy.

Once Upon a Time in Cabramatta

"Once Upon a Time in Cabramatta" is the untold story of how the Vietnamese community overcame the odds and found their place in multicultural Australia. The story begins with the landmark decision of Prime Minister Fraser to open Australia's doors to thousands of refugees at the end of the Vietnam War. It is a moment in history that finally buries the infamous White Australia Policy and transforms a nation. The years that follow are as dramatic as they are turbulent - a people struggling to find their place in a foreign land. In this one tiny Sydney suburb, the 80s and 90s see the arrival of street gangs, a heroin epidemic and the first political assassination in Australia's history. The Vietnamese people are vilified and demonised. Cabramatta it seems represents all that is wrong with Asian immigration. What's more the community exist against a political backdrop that is fractured, the universal support for multiculturalism a distant memory. But as the century draws to a close there is a remarkable turnaround. The Vietnamese people finally find their voice - speaking up to claim their rightful, democratic place in their adopted home. Cabramatta is a community transformed. Australia, a continent changed forever.

Loading. Please wait...

Content not available in your region? ExpressVPN can help you stay connected wherever you are. Get 4 extra months FREE with TV Guide's exclusive offer.

Cast & Crew See All

Maria Tran
Passerby
Thang Ngo
Local Government Councillor Thang Ngo
Deborah Wallace
Self

Season 1 Episode Guide See All

Episode 1

Episode #1.1

As thousands of refugees pour into the Sydney suburb of Cabramatta the first Vietnamese community in Australia is born. But it's not long before problems arise. The family structure so important in Vietnamese culture has been obliterated by the War. The security of this life gone, young refugees find a sense of belonging through criminal gangs. A lost generation is born onto the streets of Cabramatta.

Where to Watch

Awards

  • 2013 - AACTA Award - Best Documentary Series - nominated
  • 2013 - AACTA Award - Best Direction in a Documentary - nominated
  • 2013 - AACTA Award - Best Editing in a Documentary - winner
  • 2013 - AACTA Award - Best Sound in a Documentary - nominated

You May Also Like See All

D-Day: The Unheard Tapes
Blue Planet II
America to Me
The U.S. and the Holocaust

Popular Shows See all shows

Band of Brothers

1 Season
This landmark miniseries based on Stephen E. Ambrose's best-seller, and executive produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, recounts the remarkable achievements of an elite team of U.S. paratroopers during World War II.
87   Metascore
2001 Action & Adventure, Drama, Documentary

The Curse of Oak Island

13 Seasons
Rick and Marty Lagina, two brothers from Michigan with a life-long interest in the mystery of Oak Island, renew efforts to discover the legendary treasure with sophisticated machinery.
2014 Documentary, Reality

The Faithful

1 Season
Women from Genesis navigate love, marriage, motherhood, and faith as their descendants establish Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Their personal journeys reveal struggles with relationships, children, and belief.
50   Metascore
2026 Drama, Documentary

Chernobyl

1 Season
Starring Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgård and Emily Watson, the five-part miniseries dramatizes the story of the 1986 nuclear accident — one of the worst man-made catastrophes in history — and the sacrifices made to save Europe from unimaginable disaster.
82   Metascore
2019 Drama, Documentary, Suspense

The Crown

6 Seasons
This drama follows the political rivalries and romance of Queen Elizabeth II's reign and the events that shaped the second half of the 20th century.
78   Metascore
2016 Documentary, Drama

Call the Midwife

15 Seasons
Midwives in East London in the 1950s, experience the growing pains of life and love.
81   Metascore
2012 Drama, Documentary