MAMMAL

"Intense … The raw vulnerability of the two performances creates a rock solid centre to this delicately handled immersion in love and grief." – Screen Daily

Margaret (Rachel Griffiths) drifts through life in a cloud of insubstantial encounters and small rituals. But when her ex-husband reaches out to tell her that the son she abandoned 15 years ago has gone missing, she responds by bringing homeless teenager Joe (Barry Keoghan) into her home. Confused and mutually vulnerable, the two settle into a strange domesticity together, but theirs is not a typical bond.

From sophomore writer/director Rebecca Daly comes Mammal, an unsettling and deftly assured drama about the nebulous, perilous relationships between mothers and their sons. Anchored by gripping performances from the two leads – especially Griffiths as the enigmatic, haunted Margaret – Daly's film will both startle and provoke.

"Griffiths' performance as Margaret ranks as one of the actor's best." – IONcinema

Wendy Haslem will host a Q&A with Rachel Griffiths at the session on 10 August.

Angela Ndaliannis will host a Q&A with Rachel Griffiths at the session on 12 August.