A gritty punk drama of life in a Melbourne share house full of musicians and youthful excess.

Celebrate the 40th anniversary of this iconic Australian work with a post-screening Q&A with director Richard Lowenstein.

1986 | MA 15+ | 103 mins | D: Richard Lowenstein

Set in Melbourne’s underground music scene in the late 1970s, Dogs in Space follows a loose collective of young artists, musicians and drifters drawn together by the fragile bonds of creativity and excess. At its centre is Sam (Michael Hutchence), a magnetic outsider whose idealism and recklessness ripple through the group.

Director Richard Lowenstein captures a raw, affectionate portrait of subculture in flux, anchored by Michael Hutchence’s magnetic performance. Lived‑in and elegiac, the film is a defining snapshot of Australian counterculture.

‘A pungent snapshot of a time and place.’ — Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

Dogs in Space is held in the NFSA collection.