The Nightingale follows Clare Carroll (Aisling Franciosi), a young Irish convict who seeks vengeance for the brutal murder of her family at the hands of the cruel Lieutenant Hawkins (Sam Claflin) and his men.
Clare enlists the help of an Aboriginal tracker named Billy (Baykali Ganambarr), who agrees to guide her through the bush in pursuit of Hawkins in exchange for payment.
Her initial hostility towards Billy softens as she acknowledges the parallels between their plights: both have had their family, homeland, language, freedom and dignity stripped away by the British.
The Nightingale from director Jennifer Kent delivers exceptional performances, in a film that is not only haunting and powerful, but vital. It was originally released in 2019 and is back at the Showroom for a one-off screening this May.
Read a feature review from Reel Steel.
As the Showroom cinema warn: please note this film contains scenes of extreme violence, including rape and infanticide.
- Words by
- Joe Harris
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