Actively Radical TV — Sydney community television's progressive current affairs producers tackle the hard issues from the activist's point of view. CTS Sydney (UHF 31), every Thursday, 7pm.
Access News — Melbourne community TV, Channel 31, has excellent coverage of industrial, environmental and community actions throughout Victoria. Access News broadcasts every Monday, Thursday and Friday at 8pm. Phone (03) 9525 3551 to contact the producers or make a donation.
Subway Cops and the Mole Kings — This is not some B-grade sci-fi thriller but a documentary that examines just how nightmarish the American dream is. Deep under New York lives a forgotten community, estimated to consist of as many as 5000 people. They live in the underground subway system, sewers, steam ducts and railway tunnels. Somehow they manage to survive. This film follows the New York police as they search underground for the "mole people", some of whom have lived in this way for as long as 10 years. SBS, Friday, October 4, 8pm.
In Cuba They're Still Dancing — This program follows intrepid pensioner Agnes McLean from her native Glasgow to Havana in search of the roots of the rumba. A world away from the Pollok Community Centre in Glasgow, where Agnes, once a member of the Communist Party and Rolls Royce factory worker, normally puts on her dancing shoes, she finds the true spirit of the dance, and Cuba, at a backstreet rumba bash. SBS, Friday, October 4, 8.30pm.
Dancing in the Street: No Fun — The rise of punk music's anarchy finds an unlikely partner in the rebellious reggae of Bob Marley and Jimmy Cliff. The two strands of pop music that saved the '70s from musical oblivion are examined. ABC TV, Friday, October 4, 9.30pm.
Cult Movie: Mutant Action (1992) — In 2012 a bumbling terrorist group of people with disabilities, Mutant Action, hits back at the beauty industry, but its plan to kidnap the daughter of a millionaire industrialist at her wedding has unexpected repercussions. This spoof of the Terminator genre is produced by Pedro Almodovar. SBS, Saturday, October 5, 11.30pm.
Lord of the East — When the tsars founded their new city on the edge of the Pacific, they named it Vladivostok — "Lord of the East". During the Cold War, it flourished. Now, the BBC's Julian Pettifer reports, Vladivostok is controlled by a ruthless Russian mafia; the Pacific Fleet rusts at its moorings; nuclear waste floats in the ocean; its forests are being felled; and its symbol, the Siberian tiger, is being slaughtered. SBS, Sunday, October 6, 7.30pm.
Socialism or Death — A compelling portrait of two women who represent the different wings of thought amongst Cuba's youth. SBS, Sunday, October 6, midnight.
Mikis Theodorakis: A Portrait — Greece's most famous musician and his compositions for ballet, movie soundtracks, opera and protest songs against the oppressive regime of the late '60s and early '70s. SBS, Monday, October 7, 8.30pm.
Ethiopia: A Turbulent History — Ethiopia was the only African country successfully to resist colonisation, and has maintained its independence throughout the 20th century. The country has been racked by civil war, culminating in the independence of Eritrea. This film traces these struggles and the present. SBS, Thursday, October 10, 8.30pm.
The Factory — Kicking off a week of programs on work on SBS. A grim-humoured five-part series, made by the creator of Sylvania Waters, chronicles the daily lives of workers and management in a Liverpool gas fire factory. Described as a "documentary soap", the first episode gauges the workers' reaction to their new managing director. SBS, Sunday, October 13, 7.30pm.
The Metals — This documentary reveals the process of enterprise bargaining in a small factory Sydney's south and the role of the union. SBS, Monday, October 14, 5pm.
The Uprising of 1934 — A multi-award-winning documentary, using archival footage and personal recollections, about the general textile strike of 1934 in the US, which was brutally suppressed by the mill owners. SBS, Monday, October 14, 11.30pm.
Movie: Riff-Raff (1990) — Ken Loach's chaotic dark comedy about the scams, laughs, dangers and camaraderie of work on a London building site. SBS, Wednesday, October 16, 9.30pm.
Movie: Daens (1992) — An outstanding drama about a socialist priest's struggle against oppression in 19th century Flanders. SBS, Wednesday, October 16, 11.30pm.