The attempted ‘modernisation’ of Melbourne in the 1950s saw many of the city's most impressive and monumental buildings destroyed, including all but a few of its elegant cinemas and picture palaces. Despite the city's renowned grand hotels, theatre culture, pioneering interest in the moving image, as well as world-class restaurants and cafes - all of which made it a world-class destination for travellers - the impending Olympic Games of 1956 resulted in an overzealous attempt to revamp the city and remove much of its architectural history. Buildings deemed too 'Victorian' soon became a target for Whelan The Wrecker.

Exploring Melbourne's history from the Gold Rush through to the twenty first century through a treasure trove of illustrations, photographs and film, director Gus Berger's THE LOST CITY OF MELBOURNE is a celebration not just of the city's past, but also its enduring relationship with cinema and the moving image itself.