Australia is aptly named 'the lucky country'. The climate is sunny, the beaches are beautiful, the residents relaxed and its isolated location has kept the country out of major conflicts. But something has changed in recent years. Severe drought, widespread fires, plagues of insects and an economic crisis have given the people a feeling that their country has lost its innocence. According to polls, about half of Australians think that times have changed for good. With a tent, a four-wheel-drive vehicle and a camera, Trent Parke journeyed for two years from beach to bush. He documented the uncertain state of his native country in MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT (2004), an ominous travel document that examines the emotions of this time.

Trent Parke (Australia, b. 1971) won various prizes at World Press Photo and received the prestigious W. Eugene Smith Award for MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT. He is a candidate for membership in the Magnum photo agency.

Courtesy Stills Gallery, Australia