Please scroll for a content consideration note regarding The Nightingale, and please note that the below showtimes, representatives from RVAP will be available in the lobby before, during and immediately after the film.

Saturday, August 24 - 6:30PM
Sunday, August 25 - 1:30PM
Tuesday, August 27 - 7:30PM
Thursday, August 29 - 8:30PM

"Mythic and gripping. A historical revenge tale of shattering beauty." - Variety

"Staggering. An unforgettable search for human kindness and peace." - Collider

"Essential viewing. You'll never forget it." - Slashfilm

OFFICIAL SELECTION: Sundance Film Festival 2019
OFFICIAL SELECTION: Venice Film Festival 2018

Jennifer Kent's (The Babadook) 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 Aiden (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 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 ruggedest wilderness to track down Hawkins. The terrain and the prevailing hostilities are frightening, and fighting between the original habitants 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.

A note about the film: The Nightingale features rape, murder and violent acts of racism. The Nightingale features graphic and potentially triggering acts of sexual violence towards women, violence towards children, and violence motivated by racism...the film presents complex issues and does not attempt to offer neat solutions to 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 up 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.