Jack Thompson looms large in the Australian imagination from such iconic films as Breaker Morant and The Man from Snowy River. Born John Hadley Pain in Sydney in 1940, he knows very little about the history of his biological family. When his mother died, Jack was sent to a local boarding school as their father Harold was unable to look after them. Eventually Jack was adopted by the Thompson family and he took their name. For the first time, Jack Thompson, legend of the Australian screen, discovers the history of his biological relations and the importance of us knowing our own stories.

• Richard Mellick
• Ita Buttrose