Sally Aitken

Directing

Sally Aitken

Sally Aitken is an Australian documentary film and television director, writer and producer. She has been nominated for two Emmys: in 2018 at the International Emmy Award for Best Arts Programming for the documentary film David Stratton: A Cinematic Life, and at the 43rd News and Documentary Emmy Awards for the documentary Playing With Sharks in 2022.

Known For

Shark Beach with Chris HemsworthShark Beach with Chris Hemsworth · 2021
Shark Beach with Chris Hemsworth
6.62021
MovieDocumentaryTV Movie
Chris Hemsworth has a real passion for sharks. The Hollywood star talks to experts to find out more about the apex predators of the oceans.
Playing with SharksPlaying with Sharks · 2021
Playing with Sharks
7.62021
MovieDocumentary
Valerie Taylor is a shark fanatic and an Australian icon – a marine maverick who forged her way as a fearless diver, cinematographer and conservationist. She filmed the real sharks for Jaws and famously wore a chainmail suit, using herself as shark bait, changing our scientific understanding of sharks forever.
David Stratton: A Cinematic LifeDavid Stratton: A Cinematic Life · 2017
David Stratton: A Cinematic Life
4.62017
MovieDocumentary
A compelling personal journey with David Stratton, as he relates the fascinating development of our cinema history. David guides us from his boyhood cinema experience of Australia in England, where he saw the first images of this strange and exotic landscape via the medium of film, to his migration to Australia as a ‘ten pound pom’ in 1963 and onto his present day reflections on the iconic themes that run through our cinematic legacy. All of this reflects a passionate engagement in a uniquely Australian medium. Parallel and at the heart of the series is the story of an industry whose growing pains David has witnessed over a lifetime. Alongside David, the protagonists of this history are the giants of Australian cinema – both behind the camera and in front of it.
Hot Potato: The Story of The WigglesHot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles · 2023
Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles
8.12023
MovieDocumentary
Hot Potato is a backstage pass to the global phenomenon, The Wiggles. The documentary chronicles the story of three preschool teachers, Anthony, Murray and Greg, and their friend Jeff, as they triumph over the odds to become one of the most successful children’s acts of all time.
Warrior Empire: The Mughals of IndiaWarrior Empire: The Mughals of India · 2006
Warrior Empire: The Mughals of India
8.02006
MovieDocumentaryHistory
WARRIOR EMPIRE: THE MUGHALS is a sweeping, in-depth portrait of India's most colorful, violent, and majestic era. From 1526 to 1858, this dynasty of nomadic warriors indulged their appetite for territorial expansion, spreading their rule throughout the Indian subcontinent. Though they conquered their kingdom with crushing brutality, the Mughals were also brilliant technological innovators and masters of art and architecture. This program offers lush, detailed images of Mughal accomplishments such as the glorious Taj Mahal, palaces, forts, water systems, elaborate gardens, and richly crafted artwork. Step-by-step scientific recreations of advanced Mughal metallurgy and weaponry show the meticulous production of chain mail armor for a battalion of elephants, lethally flexible composite bows, rocketry, and swordsmith techniques passed down through the generations, and still alive today.
Au bonheur des dames, l'invention du grand magasinAu bonheur des dames, l'invention du grand magasin · 2011
Au bonheur des dames, l'invention du grand magasin
7.02011
MovieDocumentary
Frank Gehry: The Architect Says "Why Can't I?"Frank Gehry: The Architect Says "Why Can't I?" · 2015
Frank Gehry: The Architect Says "Why Can't I?"
2015
MovieDocumentary
A fascinating look at the colorful career of architect Frank Gehry who despite being well into his eighties remains one of the world's most celebrated and famously provocative creative forces. From the iconic Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao to LA's Walt Disney Concert Hall, Gehry's buildings both intrigue and ignite. For Frank, rules are there to be broken. Alan Yentob explores Gehry's remarkable journey from poor outsider in Toronto to global 'starchitect' and follows the construction of a characteristically audacious new Gehry building in Sydney - his first in Australia.
Every Little ThingEvery Little Thing · 2025
Every Little Thing
7.42025
MovieDocumentary
Amid the glamour of Hollywood, Los Angeles, a woman finds herself on a transformative journey as she nurtures wounded hummingbirds, unraveling a visually captivating and magical tale of love, fragility, healing, and the delicate beauty in tiny acts of greatness.

Filmography

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David Stratton: A Cinematic LifeDavid Stratton: A Cinematic Life · 2017
David Stratton: A Cinematic Life
4.62017
MovieDocumentary
A compelling personal journey with David Stratton, as he relates the fascinating development of our cinema history. David guides us from his boyhood cinema experience of Australia in England, where he saw the first images of this strange and exotic landscape via the medium of film, to his migration to Australia as a ‘ten pound pom’ in 1963 and onto his present day reflections on the iconic themes that run through our cinematic legacy. All of this reflects a passionate engagement in a uniquely Australian medium. Parallel and at the heart of the series is the story of an industry whose growing pains David has witnessed over a lifetime. Alongside David, the protagonists of this history are the giants of Australian cinema – both behind the camera and in front of it.

Director

Warrior Empire: The Mughals of IndiaWarrior Empire: The Mughals of India · 2006
Warrior Empire: The Mughals of India
8.02006
MovieDocumentaryHistory
WARRIOR EMPIRE: THE MUGHALS is a sweeping, in-depth portrait of India's most colorful, violent, and majestic era. From 1526 to 1858, this dynasty of nomadic warriors indulged their appetite for territorial expansion, spreading their rule throughout the Indian subcontinent. Though they conquered their kingdom with crushing brutality, the Mughals were also brilliant technological innovators and masters of art and architecture. This program offers lush, detailed images of Mughal accomplishments such as the glorious Taj Mahal, palaces, forts, water systems, elaborate gardens, and richly crafted artwork. Step-by-step scientific recreations of advanced Mughal metallurgy and weaponry show the meticulous production of chain mail armor for a battalion of elephants, lethally flexible composite bows, rocketry, and swordsmith techniques passed down through the generations, and still alive today.

Director

Hummingbirds of HollywoodHummingbirds of Hollywood · 2025
Hummingbirds of Hollywood
2025
MovieDocumentary
Amid the glamour of Hollywood, a woman finds herself on a transformative journey as she nurtures wounded hummingbirds, unraveling a visually captivating tale of love, fragility, healing, and the delicate beauty in profound acts of kindness. Meet Terry Masear, a retired UCLA professor who rescues the hummingbirds that descend on Los Angeles every spring in a seasonal frenzy of breeding. Wounded hummingbirds find their way to Masear as her mobile hotline rings off the hook from callers who find them and require her expertise. Among Masear’s diminutive patients are Cactus, Jimmy, Wasabi, Alexa, and Mikhail, whose lives are brought into sharp focus through breathtaking, beautifully detailed photography. The compassion and empathy that Masear shows her Lilliputian charges serves as a lesson to us all — the delicate beauty in profound acts of kindness.

Director