''Van Diemen's Land'' is a 2009 Australian thriller set in 1822 in colonial Tasmania. It follows the story of the infamous Irish convict, Alexander Pearce, played by

Oscar Redding Oscar Redding (born c. 1974) is an Australian actor, screenwriter and director. Biography Portrayed Alexander Pearce in ''Van Diemen's Land'' (2009). He also co-wrote the film with director Jonathan auf der Heide. Redding directed the Austra ...

and his escape with seven other convicts. The

voice-over Voice-over (also known as off-camera or off-stage commentary) is a production technique where a voice—that is not part of the narrative (non- diegetic)—is used in a radio, television production, filmmaking, theatre, or other presentation ...

and some of the dialogue is in

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

Plot

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 Van Diemen's Land was the colonial name of the island of Tasmania used by the British during the European exploration of Australia in the 19th century. A British settlement was established in Van Diemen's Land in 1803 before it became a sepa ...

, as Tasmania was then known (until 1856) escape into the wilderness in hopes of reaching the settlements to the east. Their enthusiasm and bravado soon give way to hunger, which saps their strength and causes them to despair. Former urban dwellers, the English, Irish and Scottish convicts realise that not only are they lost, 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. The film ends with only one survivor, Alexander Pearce.

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

Cast

Release and reception

''Van Diemen's Land'' was released in Australian cinemas on 24 September 2009, and was rated MA15+ for "strong violence and coarse language". It received mostly positive reviews, and earned an 80% approval rating on

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

based on 10 reviews with an average 6.6/10 rating. During the opening weekend, the film grossed $39,939 at the 9 theatres it played ($4,438 average). 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.

Box office

''Van Diemen's Land'' grossed $289,858 at the box office in Australia.

References

External links

*
Van Diemen's Land at Rotten Tomatoes

Official Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Van Diemen's Land (Film) 2009 films Australian epic films Australian horror thriller films 2000s horror thriller films 2009 horror films Films shot in Australia Films set in colonial Australia 2009 psychological thriller films Films set in Tasmania Films about cannibalism Films set in 1822 Films about prison escapes 2000s English-language films