The Nightingale director Jennifer Kent defends ‘honest’ depiction of rape and violence

The Babadook creator’s new film set in 1825 Tasmania has become the flashpoint of this year’s Sydney film festival.

Warning: contains spoilersThe Babadook director Jennifer Kent has defended her new film The Nightingale as an “honest and necessary depiction” of a brutal historical moment, after rape scenes and graphic violence caused some ticket holders to walk out of screenings on Sunday and Monday night.The film, written and directed by Kent, is set in 1825 Tasmania during the frontier war massacres of Indigenous Australians.

It is framed around the story of Claire (Aisling Fanciosi), a 21-year-old Irish former convict who finds herself trapped by a brutal master, Lieutenant Hawkins (Sam Claflin).

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