Why Larysa Kondracki faced backlash from Australians for directing new adaptation of Picnic at Hanging Rock
The Canadian director discusses the challenge of taking on such a well-loved Australian story, and the backlash she faced from Australians for her role in the series.
Joan Lindsay's 1967 book Picnic at Hanging Rock is a cultural touchstone in Australia. It's a literary classic, as well as a 1975 cinematic classic, that tells the story of three female boarding school students who vanish while on a Valentine's Day picnic. Now, Canadian director Larysa Kondracki has reimagined the story in a six part mini-series. She talks to Tom Power about the challenge of taking on such a well-loved Australian story, which she calls "the Bible and Shakespeare, The Great Gatsby all rolled into one," and about the backlash she faced from Australians for her role in the series.
The six-part television series Picnic at Hanging Rock premieres in Canada on Bravo on Sunday, June 17.
— Produced by Beza Seife