It's 1893 in the alpine country of Australia's Snowy Mountains. On an isolated farm, the heavily pregnant Molly Johnson (Purcell) and her young children struggle to survive in the absence of her drover husband. When a fugitive Aboriginal man, Yadaka (Rob Collins), arrives on her property, Molly initially treats him with extreme caution. But gradually, Yadaka proves helpful in a difficult situation, and just might provide a link to Molly's past. Meanwhile, the continuing absence of Molly's husband starts to draw the attention of lawman Nate Clintoff (Sam Reid) and his wife Louisa (Jessica De Gouw), leading to devastating consequences. Purcell has explored this material before, to great impact, in both novel and play form. With this vibrant cinematic adaptation, she brings a radical and strikingly contemporary vision to the story. As Purcell says: "I was brought up by storytellers, within a culture where the tradition of storytelling is passed down and histories are heard from the Black experience, not from white-washed history books."

Director: Leah Purcell (Goa-Gunggari Wakka Wakka Murri)
Writer: Leah Purcell (Goa-Gunggari Wakka Wakka Murri)
Producers: Bain Stewart (Ngugi-Goenpul-Noonuccal Murri), David Jowsey, Angela Littlejohn, Greer Simpkin, Leah Purcell
Language: English
Australia | 2021 | 109 mins

PREVIEW SHORT FILM:

Washday
Director: Kath Akuhata-Brown (Ngati Porou)

New Zealand | 2021 | 14 mins | Maori | English subtitles

New Zealand, 1963. A year after the passing of her mother, eight year old Hine and her father Whai, still grieve. One Sunday morning the water stops flowing into the house so while her father fixes it, Hine does the washing at the river. While there she devises a plan to wash away her father’s sadness forever. Washday is inspired by an ancient Māori story of the wind and the power of a child’s love.

NOTE: This film is available in the BIRRARANGGA Film Festival 3-pass and 5-pass ticket packages.

Contact the host of The Drover's Wife - The Legend of Molly Johnson