Lantana (35mm)
Four couples’ relationships unravel after a young woman’s body is found in suburban Sydney.
Arc Cinema
7:00PM
$18 Full / $15 Concession (+ $1.50 booking fee)
27 May, 2026
Lantana (35mm) 27 May, 2026
2001 | 35mm | AUS | D: Ray Lawrence
Movie night presented by ABC Radio Canberra at the NFSA, featuring an introduction by Ross Solly, ABC Radio Canberra Breakfast presenter.
Using a mystery framework to explore intimacy and miscommunication, Lantana unfolds as a psychological mosaic following a woman’s disappearance. The film follows four Sydney couples as their lives quietly unravel, exposing infidelity, emotional distance and unresolved loss.
The story is subtle, layered and deeply human, capturing how fragile relationships can be and how hard it is to face emotional truth in contemporary life.
The film is based on the play “Speaking in Tongues” by Andrew Bovell and marks Ray Lawrence’s return to directing following a 15-year hiatus. Featuring an all-star Australian cast — Anthony LaPaglia, Geoffrey Rush, Barbara Hershey, Kerry Armstrong, Rachel Blake, and Leah Purcell — the film won seven AACTA awards including Best Film and Best Adapted Screenplay.
‘An uncommonly intelligent film about the ways people fail to connect.’ - David Stratton, At the Movies
Presented on 35mm film prints from the NFSA collection.
Arc Cinema
We are situated in the heart of Canberra on McCoy Circuit, Acton, between the shores of Lake Burley Griffin and the grounds of the Australian National University. Just a 10-minute walk from the city and state bus interchanges.
1 McCoy Circuit, Acton, ACT 2601
Film Details
Year
2001
Details
35mm 121 mins M
Director
Ray Lawrence
Countries
AUS