The trailer for The Babadook director’s new film has been released, teasing out her first directorial effort since the beloved horror movie.
Titled The Nightingale, Jennifer Kent’s movie is set in 1825, during the Australian colonisation. Kent is a native of Queensland.
It stars Aisling Franciosi as a 21-year-old Irish convict looking to free herself from her abusive master, Lieutenant Hawkins (Sam Claflin).
The film’s description continues as follows: ”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 Billy (Baykali Ganambarr) who grudgingly takes her through the rugged wilderness to track down Hawkins.”
It continues: “The terrain and the prevailing hostilities are frightening, as fighting between the original inhabitants of the land and its colonisers 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.”
The Babadook, released in 2014, has become a fan favourite – and its popularity has been bolstered in part by the fact that its title character has become an unexpected queer icon.
The Nightingale will be released on 2 August.
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