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Van Diemen's Land is a 2009 Australian thriller set in 1822 in colonial Tasmania.[1] It follows the story of the infamous Irish convict, Alexander Pearce, played by Oscar Redding[2] and his escape with seven other convicts. The voice-over and some of the dialogue is in Irish.
| Van Diemen's Land | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Jonathan auf der Heide |
| Written by |
|
| Produced by | Maggie Miles |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Ellery Ryan |
| Edited by | Cindy Clarkson |
| Music by | Jethro Woodward |
Release date |
|
Running time | 104 minutes |
| Country | Australia |
| Languages |
|
| Box office | $289,858 |
 |
The film takes place in 1822 in Tasmania and is loosely based on a true story. A group of transported convicts, suffering brutal treatment at the Sarah Island penal settlement on Van Diemens Land, as Tasmania was then known (until 1856) escape into the wilderness in hopes of reaching the settlements to the east.[3] Their enthusiasm and bravado soon give way to hunger, which saps their strength and causes them to despair.[4] Former urban dwellers, the English, Irish and Scottish convicts realize that not only are they lost,[5] but they do not even know how to hunt or fish. Hunger and despair forces the group to switch to cannibalism, and the band is separated by a difference in opinion on this. Some of the group members separate from the group and walk to their imminent death. The men do all in their power to keep moving, watch their back and avoid sleep, lest they be the next meal.[6][7]
Convicts
- Alexander Pearce – Aged 32, Irish, thief
- Robert Greenhill – 32, English, sailor
- Matthew Travers – 27, Irish, farmer
- Alexander Dalton – 25, Irish, ex-soldier
- John Mather – 24, Scottish, bread baker
- Thomas Bodenham – 22, English, thief
- William Kennerly – 44, Irish, thief
- Edward 'Little' Brown – 48, English, profession unknown
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- Oscar Redding as Alexander Pearce
- Arthur Angel as Robert Greenhill
- Paul Ashcroft as Matthew Travers
- Mark Leonard Winter as Alexander Dalton
- Torquil Neilson as John Mather
- Thomas Wright as Thomas Bodenham
- Greg Stone as William Kennerly
- John Francis Howard as Edward 'Little' Brown
![[icon]](#/media/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (April 2017) |
Van Diemen's Land was released in Australian cinemas on 24 September 2009, and was rated MA15+ for "strong violence and coarse language".[9] It received mostly positive reviews, and earned an 80% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 10 reviews with an average 6.6/10 rating.[10] During the opening weekend, the film grossed $39,939 at the 9 theatres it played ($4,438 average).[11] The film won 2 awards in 2009: Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival(New Visions Award - Special Mention) and Torino Film Festival award for Best Script - Special Mention.
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Van Diemen's Land grossed $289,858 at the box office in Australia.[12]
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