ACMI presents
The Drover's Wife: The Legend of Molly Johnson
Featuring a Q&A with Leah Purcell
When
Tue 5 Apr 2022
Join us in-person for an exclusive preview of Leah Purcell's new film, for members of the First Nations Film Club.
1893. Australian Alpine Country of the Snowy Mountains. On an isolated property, heavily pregnant Molly Johnson has a secret she must keep buried. While her drover husband is away, she and her children struggle to survive. Molly is confronted by a fugitive Aboriginal man, Yadaka. She finds herself in a desperate situation and takes the black man’s offer of help, her life depends on it.
Unbeknown to Molly, there has been a brutal murder of a woman and her children and Yadaka has been blamed for it. He is a wanted man who will bring undesired attention to Molly Johnson. New town up-holder of law, Nate Clintoff, learns Molly’s drover husband is missing and he sends a trooper out to her property to investigate, triggering a chain of ruinous events.
The Drover’s Wife the Legend of Molly Johnson is a reimagining of Leah Purcell’s acclaimed play and Henry Lawson’s classic short story. A searing Australian Western with love, family, protection, survival, truth and racism at its heart, it asks: how far do you go to protect the ones you love?
Join us afterwards for a Q&A with Leah Purcell on Zoom.
Join the club
You will need to be a member of the First Nations Film Club to attend this session. By becoming a member of the Club, you'll also get a range of ACMI member benefits.
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