<p><strong>“No man can tell what he will do when driven by hunger.” - Alexander Pearce </strong></p>

<p>In 1822, eight convicts escape the brutal penal settlement of Macquarie Harbour, only to find the wilds of Tasmania a much crueller reality. As the provisions run out and the men fight to stay alive, only one option remains.</p>

<p>Delving into Australia's dark heritage, <em>Van Diemen's Land</em> is a retelling of the unsettling tale of our most notorious convict, Alexander Pearce, whose confessions were so shocking that the authorities at the time refused to believe them.</p>

<p>Based on director Jonathan Auf Der Heide's own short film <em>Hell's Gates</em>, which won multiple MIFF shorts awards in 2008, <em>Van Diemen's Land</em> is a pitch-black tale where nature is as unforgiving as man.</p>

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