Described by writer, director, and star Leah Purcell as a “story about a woman who will go to great lengths to protect the ones she loves,” “The Legend of Molly Johnson” takes audiences back to 1893 Australia. The Western thriller follows Molly (Purcell), a pregnant woman trying to survive the harsh Australian landscape and protect her children. “Cross me and I’ll kill you,” she warns a trespasser in a new trailer for the pic.
Molly forms a bond with Yadaka (Rob Collins), an Aboriginal fugitive, and “secrets unravel about her true identity,” the film’s synopsis hints. A deadly encounter between the pair and a local constable “results in a tragic chain of events with Molly becoming a symbol of feminism and anti-racism.”
When we asked Purcell what inspired her to become a filmmaker, the Goa-Gungarri-Wakka Wakka Murri actress, novelist, and activist responded, “To tell First Nations stories, drawn mainly from my family history, giving heart and soul to otherwise politicalized First Nation issues. Giving our stories their authentic voice but maintaining a commercial focus to attract wide and diverse audiences.”
“The Legend of Molly Johnson” hits select theaters and digital platforms August 19.
