Leah Purcell

Lantana (2001)

ComplexDarkMysterious

Plagued with grief over the murder of her daughter, Valerie Somers suspects that her husband John is cheating on her. When Valerie disappears, Detective Leon Zat attempts to solve the mystery of her absence. A complex web of love, sex and deceit emerges -- drawing ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Ray Lawrence
CAST:  Anthony LaPaglia  •  Rachael Blake  •  Kerry Armstrong  •  Geoffrey Rush

Plagued with grief over the murder of her daughter, Valerie Somers suspects that her husband John is cheating on her. When Valerie disappears, Detective Leon Zat attempts to solve the mystery of her absence. A complex web of love, sex and deceit emerges -- drawing ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Ray Lawrence
CAST:  Anthony LaPaglia  •  Rachael Blake  •  Kerry Armstrong  •  Geoffrey Rush

Somersault (2004)

Australian teenager Heidi is left with little choice but to leave home after she's caught red-handed with her mother's boyfriend. With few options, Heidi ends up in Jindabyne, a tourist community. Upon meeting Joe at a bar, she pursues a relationship with him and ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Cate Shortland
CAST:  Abbie Cornish  •  Sam Worthington  •  Lynette Curran  •  Erik Thomson

Australian teenager Heidi is left with little choice but to leave home after she's caught red-handed with her mother's boyfriend. With few options, Heidi ends up in Jindabyne, a tourist community. Upon meeting Joe at a bar, she pursues a relationship with him and ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Cate Shortland
CAST:  Abbie Cornish  •  Sam Worthington  •  Lynette Curran  •  Erik Thomson

The Proposition (2005)

Thought provokingViolentDisturbingDark

In 1880s Australia, a lawman offers renegade Charlie Burns a difficult choice. In order to save his younger brother from the gallows, Charlie must hunt down and kill his older brother, who is wanted for rape and murder. Venturing into one of the Outback's most ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  John Hillcoat
CAST:  Guy Pearce  •  Ray Winstone  •  Emily Watson  •  Danny Huston

In 1880s Australia, a lawman offers renegade Charlie Burns a difficult choice. In order to save his younger brother from the gallows, Charlie must hunt down and kill his older brother, who is wanted for rape and murder. Venturing into one of the Outback's most ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  John Hillcoat
CAST:  Guy Pearce  •  Ray Winstone  •  Emily Watson  •  Danny Huston

Black Chicks Talking (2002)

Performer and writer Leah Purcell talks with five dynamic Indigenous women - Rosanna Angus, Kathryn Hay, Deborah Mailman, Cilla Malone and Tammy Williams - about what it means to be Aboriginal in Australia today. In a series of individual interviews and at one ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Leah Purcell  •  Brendan Fletcher
CAST:  Leah Purcell  •  Deborah Mailman

Performer and writer Leah Purcell talks with five dynamic Indigenous women - Rosanna Angus, Kathryn Hay, Deborah Mailman, Cilla Malone and Tammy Williams - about what it means to be Aboriginal in Australia today. In a series of individual interviews and at one ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Leah Purcell  •  Brendan Fletcher
CAST:  Leah Purcell  •  Deborah Mailman

Jindabyne (2006)

Outside the Australian town of Jindabyne, local man Stuart Kane is on a fishing trip with friends when they discover the body of a murdered girl. What follows will change their lives forever.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Ray Lawrence
CAST:  Laura Linney  •  Gabriel Byrne  •  Deborra-Lee Furness  •  Leah Purcell

Outside the Australian town of Jindabyne, local man Stuart Kane is on a fishing trip with friends when they discover the body of a murdered girl. What follows will change their lives forever.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Ray Lawrence
CAST:  Laura Linney  •  Gabriel Byrne  •  Deborra-Lee Furness  •  Leah Purcell

My Mistress (2014)

It's a long hot summer for Charlie Boyd. He's sixteen, his hormones are raging and he's just found out his mother is having an affair with his father's best friend. One thing takes his mind off his problems, the mysterious woman down the street who has visitors day ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Stephen Lance
CAST:  Emmanuelle Béart  •  Harrison Gilbertson  •  Rachael Blake  •  Socratis Otto

It's a long hot summer for Charlie Boyd. He's sixteen, his hormones are raging and he's just found out his mother is having an affair with his father's best friend. One thing takes his mind off his problems, the mysterious woman down the street who has visitors day ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Stephen Lance
CAST:  Emmanuelle Béart  •  Harrison Gilbertson  •  Rachael Blake  •  Socratis Otto

Mary: The Making of a Princess (2015)

This is the story of a fateful encounter and the life-changing choices that led to one of Australia's and the world's most recognisable and romantic love stories.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Jennifer Leacey
CAST:  Emma Hamilton  •  Ryan O'Kane  •  Nicholas Hope  •  Gig Clarke

This is the story of a fateful encounter and the life-changing choices that led to one of Australia's and the world's most recognisable and romantic love stories.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Jennifer Leacey
CAST:  Emma Hamilton  •  Ryan O'Kane  •  Nicholas Hope  •  Gig Clarke

Last Cab to Darwin (2015)

Rex is a loner, and when he's told he doesn't have long to live, he embarks on an epic drive through the Australian outback from Broken Hill to Darwin to die on his own terms; but his journey reveals to him that before you can end your life, you have to live it, ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Jeremy Sims
CAST:  Michael Caton  •  Jacki Weaver  •  Emma Hamilton  •  Ningali Lawford

Rex is a loner, and when he's told he doesn't have long to live, he embarks on an epic drive through the Australian outback from Broken Hill to Darwin to die on his own terms; but his journey reveals to him that before you can end your life, you have to live it, ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Jeremy Sims
CAST:  Michael Caton  •  Jacki Weaver  •  Emma Hamilton  •  Ningali Lawford

David Stratton: A Cinematic Life (2017)

A compelling personal journey with David Stratton, as he relates the fascinating development of our cinema history. David guides us from his boyhood cinema experience of Australia in England, where he saw the first images of this strange and exotic landscape via ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sally Aitken
CAST:  David Stratton  •  Dr George Miller  •  Nicole Kidman  •  Todd McCarthy

A compelling personal journey with David Stratton, as he relates the fascinating development of our cinema history. David guides us from his boyhood cinema experience of Australia in England, where he saw the first images of this strange and exotic landscape via ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sally Aitken
CAST:  David Stratton  •  Dr George Miller  •  Nicole Kidman  •  Todd McCarthy

Tomorrow (2009)

Kirsten is a 14 year old girl who lives in an isolated Australian country town. Laura is a businesswoman on her way to Brisbane. When their journeys coincide Kirsten and Laura make a connection that runs deeper than their differences.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Simon Portus
CAST:  Laura Davies  •  Leah Purcell

Kirsten is a 14 year old girl who lives in an isolated Australian country town. Laura is a businesswoman on her way to Brisbane. When their journeys coincide Kirsten and Laura make a connection that runs deeper than their differences.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Simon Portus
CAST:  Laura Davies  •  Leah Purcell

The Drover's Wife: The Legend of Molly Johnson (2022)

In 1893, heavily pregnant Molly Johnson and her children struggle in isolation to survive the harsh Australian landscape after her husband left to go droving sheep in the high country. One day, she finds a shackled Aboriginal fugitive named Yakada wounded on her ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Leah Purcell
CAST:  Leah Purcell  •  Rob Collins  •  Sam Reid  •  Jessica De Gouw

In 1893, heavily pregnant Molly Johnson and her children struggle in isolation to survive the harsh Australian landscape after her husband left to go droving sheep in the high country. One day, she finds a shackled Aboriginal fugitive named Yakada wounded on her ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Leah Purcell
CAST:  Leah Purcell  •  Rob Collins  •  Sam Reid  •  Jessica De Gouw

Here Out West (2022)

A baby is kidnapped from hospital by a desperate grandmother. Her flight sets off a chain of events that bring together complete strangers over the course of one day.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Ana Kokkinos  •  Leah Purcell  •  Julie Kalceff  •  Lucy Gaffy  •  Fadia Abboud
CAST:  Arka Das  •  Leah Vandenberg  •  Rahel Romahn  •  Brandon Nguyen

A baby is kidnapped from hospital by a desperate grandmother. Her flight sets off a chain of events that bring together complete strangers over the course of one day.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Ana Kokkinos  •  Leah Purcell  •  Julie Kalceff  •  Lucy Gaffy  •  Fadia Abboud
CAST:  Arka Das  •  Leah Vandenberg  •  Rahel Romahn  •  Brandon Nguyen

Shayda (2023)

Shayda, a brave Iranian mother, finds refuge in an Australian women’s shelter with her six-year-old daughter. Over Persian New Year, they take solace in Nowruz rituals and new beginnings, but when her estranged husband re-enters their lives, Shayda’s path to ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Noora Niasari
CAST:  Zar Amir Ebrahimi  •  Osamah Sami  •  Leah Purcell  •  Mojean Aria

Shayda, a brave Iranian mother, finds refuge in an Australian women’s shelter with her six-year-old daughter. Over Persian New Year, they take solace in Nowruz rituals and new beginnings, but when her estranged husband re-enters their lives, Shayda’s path to ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Noora Niasari
CAST:  Zar Amir Ebrahimi  •  Osamah Sami  •  Leah Purcell  •  Mojean Aria

Looking Black (2022)

Looking Black explores the impact of Indigenous storytelling at the ABC, and how it has created deep and honest conversations about the experience of First Nations journalists, storytellers, and presenters.  (more)

DIRECTION: 
CAST:  Deborah Mailman  •  Leah Purcell  •  Miriam Corowa  •  Kelrick Martin

Looking Black explores the impact of Indigenous storytelling at the ABC, and how it has created deep and honest conversations about the experience of First Nations journalists, storytellers, and presenters.  (more)

DIRECTION: 
CAST:  Deborah Mailman  •  Leah Purcell  •  Miriam Corowa  •  Kelrick Martin