The great American frontierswoman Calamity Jane, renowned for her sharp-shooting skills, daredevil nature and rejection of gender norms, has been immortalised in popular culture for decades. But before she travelled to Deadwood to become a legend, she was a high-spirited 12-year-old girl named Martha, and this exciting family-friendly adventure tells her story.
Life on the Oregon Trail in 1863 is far from easy, especially for Martha who has to look after her younger siblings while navigating everything fate throws at them. The wilderness is dangerous, the road is hard and not everybody is happy to be travelling with a young family. But Martha is resilient, resourceful and refuses to play the part of a dutiful and quiet young girl. Full of eventful encounters and a spirit of defiance, Calamity, a Childhood of Martha Jane Cannary is an empowering tale about a strong female hero that all audiences can cheer for.
Directed and co-written by Rémi Chayé (whose previous credits include distinguished animated films such as Long Way North, The Painting and The Secret of Kells), Calamity, a Childhood of Martha Jane Cannary adopts an expressive and colourful animation style, and won the Best Feature Film at the 2020 Annecy International Animation Film Festival.
Crystal Award for Best Feature Film – Annecy International Animation Film Festival
"A rebellious girl flouting societal norms and revelling in gorgeous outdoor splendour."
- Screen Daily
Tuesday 2nd March
82 min
CTC
Alexandra Lamy, Salomé Boulven, Alexis Tomassian, Léonard Louf, Jochen Hägele
Rémi Chayé
Film Festival
French with English subtitles
Palace Balwyn Cinema, Palace James Street, Palace Barracks, Palace Norton St, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Verona, Palace Westgarth, Pentridge Cinema, Chauvel Cinema, Palace Electric, Palace Byron Bay, Palace Central Sydney, Kino Cinema