Join us for a special screening of THE DROVER’S WIFE: THE LEGEND OF MOLLY PURCELL followed by a live post-screening conversation with writer, director and star Leah Purcell, dialling in from Melbourne. Hosted by Birds Eye View’s Rui Jin who also runs the Brighton Community Cinematheque. This will be live captioned.

Synopsis:

In 1893, heavily pregnant Molly Johnson and her children struggle to survive the harsh Australian landscape after her husband leaves to drove sheep in the high country. One day, she finds an escaped Indigenous Australian convict wounded on her property and an unlikely bond begins to form. Meanwhile, new town lawman Nate Clintoff realises that Molly’s husband is missing and sends his constable to investigate. A thrilling tale that explores racism and misogyny under colonial rule, and a labour of love for director, writer and star Leah Purcell, who adapted Henry Lawson’s short story into a play and a novel.

The film has descriptive subtitles and audio description formats.

Thoughts on THE DROVER’S WIFE from Birds Eye View:

Leah Purcell’s assured and compelling debut will have you gripped from the first shot of the bleak but beautiful Snowy Mountains of New South Wales. Purcell loves and understands the tough, resilient, pragmatic (and heavily pregnant) woman living off true grit and hard graft in the unforgiving Outback.

Molly isn’t all sharp edges and shotguns, Purcell has given her depth and warmth as a loving mother who lives in fear of harm coming to her children, and will do anything to keep them safe. We rarely get to see films like this, about women like this – let alone films written, directed and performed by an Indigenous female filmmaker. A feat in itself, and another reason why it should be on everyone’s radar.