Heart & Soul with David Leser is a filmed and recorded interview series for YouTube and podcast audiences that explores the seminal experiences shaping the interior world of some remarkable Australians. These thoughtful, multi-layered conversations delve into universal themes of courage, creativity, grief, loss, mortality and what gives our lives purpose and meaning.

Created and produced by Shark Island Productions and conceived and directed by award-winning documentary filmmaker Ian Darling, together with host and award-winning journalist David Leser, the series premieres on Monday 24 August 2026.

These are conversations we rarely hear from people we think we know.

“Heart & Soul begins with the simple belief that beneath our opinions, accomplishments and public identities, there is an inner life asking to be heard. These will be unhurried conversations. No real agenda. No fixed destination. Simply a shared willingness to get curious, to speak honestly and to listen deeply.” — David Leser

“For more than 25 years, Shark Island Productions has been telling stories through documentary film. With Shark Island Sessions, we’ve created a place for artists, audiences and ideas to come together. We believe stories, conversation, art and music can spark curiosity, deepen human connection and help us make sense of the world around us.” — Ian Darling

The inaugural season features internationally renowned human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson; Archibald Prize-winning artist Ben Quilty; journalist, broadcaster and publisher Jennifer Byrne; businesswoman and former editor-in-chief of the Australian Women’s Weekly Deborah Thomas; Pulitzer Prize-winning author Geraldine Brooks; former Foreign Minister and NSW Premier Bob Carr; author, journalist and screenwriter Benjamin Law; award-winning investigative journalist and author Jess Hill; and a special conversation with Midnight Oil co-founder and drummer Rob Hirst, recorded just months before his death in 2026.

Episode 1: Jennifer Robinson reflects on justice, family, women’s rights, climate advocacy, high profile clients such as Julian Assange and Amber Heard, and the responsibility of being in service to others. Her life and work are featured in the documentary Silenced, released in Australian cinemas from 3 September 2026.

Episode 2: Ben Quilty grapples with themes around art, love, masculinity, anxiety, empathy, creativity and the enduring power of kindness.

Episode 3: Jennifer Byrne reflects on her remarkable family, her storied career in print, radio and television journalism, and a life shaped by privilege, curiosity, ambition and a fierce independence.

Episode 4: Rob Hirst’s Final Interview
In one of the season’s most significant conversations, Midnight Oil co-founder and drummer Rob Hirst offers final reflections on music, songwriting, family, friendship, mortality and gratitude. Recorded just months before his death in 2026, the conversation stands as a rare and deeply personal portrait of one of Australia’s most important cultural figures.

Episode 5: Deborah Thomas delves into a life informed by fashion, music, magazines, leadership, the power of friendship and a remarkable resilience in the face of tragedy.

Episode 6: Geraldine Brooks reflects on her extraordinary career as a journalist, foreign correspondent and author, while also plumbing the depths of memory, grief and what it means to love well.

Episode 7: Bob Carr reveals a life devoted to politics, history and reading, and what it took to learn to live without his lifelong partner Helena.

Episode 8: Benjamin Law delights us with stories around family, identity, sexuality, belonging and growing up as an Australian-Chinese in the shadow of Pauline Hanson’s rise to prominence.

Episode 9: Jess Hill reveals the intrigues of her own uniquely colourful family system and the systems that enable gendered violence, as well as her love of singing and the challenges of living with a life-threatening illness.

About Shark Island Sessions
Shark Island Sessions is a new platform from Shark Island Productions for Australian stories, conversations, art and music, bringing together creative voices from across Australia’s cultural landscape.

Filmed with a small live audience at The Old Store in Kangaroo Valley and shared with larger audiences across YouTube and podcast platforms, Shark Island Sessions connects people through stories, ideas and creative experiences that matter.

About Ian Darling
Ian Darling is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, photographer, philanthropist, and founder of Shark Island Productions. His films include The Final Quarter, Paul Kelly: Stories of Me, The Oasis, The Pool and The Valley.

About David Leser
David Leser is one of Australia’s most respected journalists and interviewers. A two-time Walkley Award winner and author of eight books, he is renowned for his long-form feature writing, opinion columns and deeply observed portraits of public figures.

WATCH & LISTEN

Heart & Soul with David Leser premieres Monday 24 August 2026.

Watch on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

YouTube youtube.com/@SHARKISLANDSESSIONS

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