After making a lasting impression on attendees at both Venice and TIFF earlier in the year, the first trailer has emerged for Simon Stone’s star-studded Australian drama, The Daughter.
Acting as the filmmaker’s directorial debut after an esteemed career in theater, Stone was able to pull together a remarkable ensemble cast comprising both Australian talent and Hollywood veterans. It is Odessa Young – who plays the title, wise-beyond-her-years character – who has garnered the most praise from early reviews, who finds herself at the crux of the story as Christian’s (Paul Schneider) trip back to his familial home begins to cause more harm than good.
Once the mollycuddling and small talk has ceased, The Daughter begins to peel back the layers of the small Australian town, as the sins of the past – and, particularly, Christian’s past – begin to have massive ramifications for the current generation. From the trailer alone, there are plenty of dramatic shots of acting veterans such as Sam Neill and Geoffrey Rush, while Young’s turn as the fragile, emotionally vulnerable teenager shines above all else. Ewen Leslie, Miranda Otto and Anna Torv round out the ensemble.
Simon Stone’s Australian drama is currently on course for a release in its native country in 2016. No word yet on international distributors for The Daughter, but we’ll keep you posted as we learn more of the film’s development.
In the last days of a dying logging town Christian (Paul Schneider) returns to his family home for his father Henry’s (Geoffrey Rush) wedding to the much younger Anna (Anna Torv). While home, Christian reconnects with his childhood friend Oliver (Ewen Leslie), who has stayed in town working at Henry’s timber mill and is now out of a job. As Christian gets to know Oliver’s wife Charlotte (Miranda Otto), daughter Hedvig (Odessa Young) and father Walter (Sam Neill), he discovers a secret that could tear Oliver’s family apart. As he tries to right the wrongs of the past, his actions threaten to shatter the lives of those he left behind years before.
