Upcoming Australian film The Nightingale, from The Babadook director Jennifer Kent, has been honoured with two awards at this year’s Venice Film Festival.
The film, a gothic revenge thriller set in Tasmmania in 1825, won the Special Grand Jury Prize and the Marcello Mastroianni Award for best young actor, recognising indigenous actor Baykali Ganambarr. Roma, from Oscar-winning director Alfonso Cuaron, won the festival’s main prize: the Golden Lion.
The Nightingale was the only film in competition at Venice this year to be directed by a woman.
Accepting the award, the acclaimed director said: “I would also like to say to all those women out there wanting to make films, please go and do it. We need you. The feminine force is the most powerful and healing force on the planet.
“I’m confident next year and the year after we’ll see more and more women inhabiting this space.”
According to the official synopsis, The Nightingale “follows young Irish convict Claire (Aisling Franciosi) as she pursues a British officer (Sam Claflin) through the wilderness with vengeance on her mind for an appalling act committed against her family. An Aboriginal tracker named Billy (Baykali Ganambarr) helps the chase, like Claire, scarred by his own trauma.”
The film made headlines around the world last week, when reports emerged that during its premiere an Italian critic yelled out sexist insults directed at Kent. That critic was ejected from the festival.
Kent’s 2014 directorial debut, The Babadook, generated great acclaim at home and abroad. In a recent Flicks poll of Australian film critics, it was voted the sixth best Australian film made so far in the 21st century.
