In 1806, William Thornhill is sentenced to New South Wales for life where he is drawn into a terrifying conflict that will leave a bloody and indelible stain.
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Title: The Secret River (2015)
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4 wins & 8 nominations.
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William Thornhill, an illiterate Thames bargeman and a man of quick temper but deep feelings, steals a load of timber and is transported to New South Wales in 1806. Like many of the convicts, he's pardoned within a few years and settles on the banks of the Hawkesbury River. Perhaps the Governor grants him the land or perhaps he just takes it - the Hawkesbury is at the extreme edge of settlement at that time and normal rules don't apply. However he gets the land, it's prime riverfront acreage. It looks certain to make him rich. There's just one problem with that land: it's already owned. It's been part of the territory of the Darug people for perhaps forty thousand years. They haven't left fences or roads or houses, but they live on that land and use it, just as surely as Thornhill's planning to do. They aren't going to hand over their land without a fight. Spears may be primitive weapons, but settlers know that they can kill a man as surely as a ball of lead from a musket. As he ... Written by Anonymous
This production was pure excellence from the opening scenes. From the outset, the audience was catapulted into early colonial Australia. The grit, the grime, the smells. Every experience was visceral and you really felt for the characters as they negotiate the foreign landscape and society. The epic journey down the river delivered snapshots of early colonial life.
The screenplay was sublime. It was authentic. The characters were believable and their personal desires and dreams seemed realistic. The performances were sound and the director shies away from being overly sentimental.