A recent SBS documentary series has sparked controversy and raised questions about the integrity of the network's commissioning process. The series, titled "Australia's Greatest Conman?", delves into the fascinating story of conman John Friedrich, but for one veteran filmmaker, Philippe Charluet, it hits a little too close to home.
A Tale of Two Documentaries
Charluet, with over three decades of industry experience, has come forward with a bold assertion. He claims that the two-part documentary about Friedrich bears an uncanny resemblance to a project he and his company, Stella Motion, submitted to SBS on multiple occasions in the late 2000s.
"We believe SBS allegedly used our comprehensive material without our knowledge or consent," Charluet wrote on his company's website. "Our proposed documentary was a meticulously researched script, developed over years, and we had secured interest from international partners."
The Timeline of Events
Charluet presented his outline for "John Friedrich: Catch Me If You Can" to three different commissioning executives at SBS in 2008 and 2009. While the first two individuals have since left the network, the third is now a senior executive.
Documents seen by this masthead appear to support Charluet's claims. They include letters acknowledging receipt of his proposal, which included a detailed shooting script and extensive interview footage. However, SBS sent pro forma rejection letters, stating that the project was not a priority at that time.
SBS's Response
In a written statement, SBS insists that their project was conceived in 2022 when the documentary team was exploring a series on Australian conmen. They chose Friedrich as the focus due to his unique motivations. Development began in 2024, and SBS claims there is no link between Charluet's project and theirs.
SBS further states that submissions are retained for seven years and then destroyed, and any email communications from 2008-09 are not accessible to staff beyond technology specialists. The executive who received Charluet's submission in 2009 had no recollection of it until Charluet contacted SBS in February 2026.
Similarities and Differences
While Charluet's film and SBS's documentary differ in many ways, they both cover the rise of Friedrich from obscurity to leading the country's largest and best-equipped search and rescue operation, funded by fraudulent activities. One notable similarity is the inclusion of an interview with Stelian Moculescu, a Romanian-born German volleyball player who knew Friedrich in Bavaria.
Charluet alleges that a video sample of his team's interview with Moculescu was part of his last application, but SBS denies this, stating that the first public mention of Moculescu was in a 1989 interview by Channel 9.
The Impact on Independent Producers
Charluet is not accusing SBS of direct plagiarism, but he believes this incident highlights a larger issue. He questions the fairness of the commissioning process for independent producers if networks can "magically" reinvent projects in-house years later.
"As independent documentary producers, we face an alarming future where our hard work and ideas can be exploited," Charluet writes. "We must ask if this passes the pub test, and we believe it does not."
This controversy has sparked a discussion about the ethics and practices of documentary filmmaking and the role of independent producers in the industry.
