The Drover's Wife: The Legend of Molly Johnson

Heavily pregnant and with four children on her hands, Molly is stuck on her farm in the Australian Alps. Her husband has left to herd sheep in the outback - in an area that is not only considered harsh, but also dangerous. In 1893, the medical facilities and legal protection against intruders also leave a lot to be desired. To make it short: the circumstances of the upcoming birth could be better. So Molly Johnson takes the sceptre, or rather the gun, into her own hands when strangers suddenly appear: A new sergeant and his wife, recent immigrants from London, and Yadaka, an Aborigine on the run, whom Molly slowly gets closer to. Director Leah Purcell is in no way inferior to her title character when it comes to feminist solo efforts. She not only took on the role of Molly Johnson, but also adapted the short story by Henry Lawson on which it is based first for the theater and shortly afterwards for the medium of film. The result is a gripping portrait of a courageous solo fighter who, despite an adverse starting position, "stands her ground" in the fight for survival and for the protection of her children. This thrilling anti-Western is consistently told from a female perspective and features an impressive female character who is so much more than just "the drover's wife" in the face of the machismo and racism of her time. Leah Purcell gradually reveals the identity of her characters, immerses them in the magnificent shots of a breathtaking landscape and also takes an interest in the culture of the oppressed indigenous people.