Film Independent

Film Lover Member Screening: The Nightingale

Film Independent

Film Lover Member Screening: The Nightingale

Includes a conversation with writer/director Jennifer Kent and actors Aisling Franciosi and Baykali Ganambarr; moderated by Jacqueline Lyanga

PLEASE NOTE: This film contains sensitive and potentially upsetting content. Read the filmmakers’ trigger warning (below the film description) in its entirety before moving on to the RSVP page for this event.

The Nightingale is a meditation on the consequences of violence and the price of seeking vengeance. Set during the colonization of Australia in 1825, the film follows Clare (Aisling Franciosi), a 21-year-old Irish convict. Having served her 7-year sentence, she is desperate to be free of her abusive master Lieutenant Hawkins (Sam Claflin), who refuses to release her from his charge. Clare’s husband Aidan (Michael Sheasby) retaliates and she becomes the victim of a harrowing crime at the hands of the lieutenant and his cronies. When British authorities fail to deliver justice, Clare decides to pursue Hawkins, who leaves his post suddenly to secure a captaincy up north. Unable to find compatriots for her journey, she is forced to enlist the help of a young Aboriginal tracker named Billy (Baykali Ganambarr), who grudgingly takes her through the rugged wilderness to track down Hawkins. The terrain and the prevailing hostilities are frightening, as fighting between the original inhabitants of the land and its colonizers plays out in what is now known as The Black War. Clare and Billy are hostile towards each other from the outset, both suffering their own traumas and mutual distrust, but as their journey leads them deeper into the wilderness, they must learn to find empathy for one another while weighing the true cost of revenge.

2019, 136 minutes, color, DCP | Written and directed by Jennifer Kent; with Aisling Franciosi, Sam Claflin, Baykal Ganambarr

The Nightingale features potentially triggering acts of sexual violence towards women, violence towards children and violence motivated by racism. This film portrays complex issues and does not attempt to offer neat solutions for systemic issues of race, misogyny, sexual violence or classism. While the film’s narrative is fictional, it is inspired by historical events. The film presents the opportunity to open an honest dialogue about cycles of violence, the repercussions of colonialism and the value of experiencing challenging, troubling works of art. While art can make viewers uncomfortable, it can also inspire reflection on the importance of empathy for our survival. The filmmakers respectfully request that the specific nature of the brutality inflicted upon Clare’s family at the beginning of the film not be revealed to future viewers.

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Validated parking in the building garage after 5:30 pm.