The Stan original movie, Nitram depicts the events leading up to one of the darkest chapters in Australian history in an attempt to understand why and how this atrocity occurred.
Nitram (Caleb Landry Jones) lives with his mother (Judy Davis) and father (Anthony LaPaglia) in suburban Australia in the mid-1990s.
He lives a life of isolation and frustration at never being able to fit in.
That is until he unexpectedly finds a close friend in a reclusive heiress, Helen (Essie Davis). However, when that friendship meets its tragic end, and Nitram’s loneliness and anger grow, he begins a slow descent into a nightmare that culminates in the most nihilistic and heinous of acts.
Directed by Justin Kurzel (Stan Original Film True History of the Kelly Gang, Snowtown) and written by Shaun Grant (Penguin Bloom, Snowtown), the film stars Caleb Landry Jones (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Get Out), Essie Davis (The Babadook, Stan Original Film True History of the Kelly), Judy Davis (My Brilliant Career, The Dressmaker) and Anthony LaPaglia (Lantana, Balibo).
Nitram screened in Official Selection for Competition at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival and was the first Australian film to compete for the Palme D’Or in a decade. Nitram marks Kurzel’s third feature film to screen at Cannes and his second in competition.
The film received a standing ovation following its world premiere screening at Cannes, with Caleb Landry Jones recognised with Best Actor honours for his performance. Nitram was also awarded the CinefestOZ Film Prize in August, in addition to being selected for competition at this year’s BFI London Film Festival.
Nitramhas also been recognised with a clean sweep of major film nominations at the 2021 AACTA Awards.
In addition to being nominated for this year’s AACTA Award for Best Film, Nitram was recognised with nominations for Best Direction for director Justin Kurzel, Best Lead Actor for Caleb Landry Jones, Best Lead Actress for Judy Davis, Best Supporting Actor for Anthony LaPaglia, Best Supporting Actress for Essie Davis and Best Original Screenplay for writer Shaun Grant.
In a statement, the filmmakers commented:
“Nitram was written as a response to the proliferation of regular mass shootings across the world and is an exploration of the issues and events that led to this atrocity, rather than a re-enactment of it, to bring the gun control debate to the fore and to try to ensure history does not repeat itself.”
A GoodThing Productions film in conjunction with Stan, the Stan Original Film Nitram is produced by GoodThing Productions’ Nick Batzias and Virginia Whitwell (2040, The Australian Dream), alongside Justin Kurzel and Shaun Grant. Madman Entertainment are handling theatrical distribution, with Wild Bunch International handling worldwide sales of the film.
