Cork's Triskel champions work of brilliant director Campion

Since the Academy Awards began nearly a century ago, only three women have won the Oscar for Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow, Chloé Zhao, and Jane Campion.

This strikingly small number highlights the persistent gender disparity in one of cinema’s most prestigious categories.

Notably, both Zhao and Campion share another distinction beyond their wins: they have each been nominated for Best Director more than once, a rare achievement for any film-maker. Zhao has a chance to make history this Sunday, as she is nominated for an Oscar for Hamnet.

As the second woman ever to be nominated for Best Director for her film The Piano, Campion has continued to be a trailblazer, finally taking the award home in 2021 for The Power Of The Dog.

Triskel Cinema is giving Cork film fans an opportunity to celebrate her work with their Jane Campion Season, from March 15-18.

Chris O’Neill, Head of Cinema at Triskel, explains that it was time to showcase the work of this great New Zealand director.

“I thought it was long overdue to host a season of films dedicated to Campion, and I’m happy to say I think we’ve selected three of her finest. The Piano was her breakthrough movie on several levels. It not only garnered international success for the New Zealand director, but it was also a major crossover movie in that it was an arthouse film, but one that proved hugely popular with mainstream audiences also.”

The Piano is a haunting period drama that explores themes of silence, desire, and independence through a compelling narrative and striking visuals.

Set in the mid-19th century, the film follows Ada McGrath (Holly Hunter), a Scottish woman who has been mute since childhood. Sent to colonial New Zealand for an arranged marriage to settler Alisdair Stewart (Sam Neill), Ada’s only true voice is her beloved piano, which becomes her means of emotional expression.

When Stewart trades the piano to his neighbour, George Baines (Harvey Keitel), Ada is pulled into an uneasy relationship with him. Along with her fiercely protective daughter, Flora (Anna Paquin), Ada’s journey becomes one of reclaiming control, seeking freedom, and fighting for emotional survival.

The film was a critical triumph. Alongside Campion’s nomination for directing, the film earned three Oscars: Best Actress for Hunter, Best Supporting Actress for Paquin, and Best Original Screenplay for Campion.

Campion also made history as the first woman to win the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. At the time, it also became the highest-grossing film of all time in its native New Zealand.

O’Neill says the film became a cultural touchstone of the 1990s.

“ The Piano wasn’t only a box office success, but it became part of the cultural zeitgeist in 1993-1994. If you had not seen the movie, you probably heard about it, and it made a star of Holly Hunter.

“It’s shocking to realise that Campion was, at the time, only the second female film-maker to be nominated for the Best Director Academy Award; the first was Lina Wertmüller 17 years earlier.”

There are two more films in the season: The Portrait Of A Lady and Holy Smoke! O’Neill says that while they were not as popular at the box office or during the awards season, they are two fine examples of film-making.

“ The Portrait Of A Lady, based on the Henry James novel of the same name, is a period drama starring Nicole Kidman, John Malkovich, and Barbara Hershey, while Holy Smoke! is wonderfully off-kilter, with Kate Winslet delivering one of her finest performances and ample support from Harvey Keitel.”

The film is a visually striking 1996 adaptation of the classic novel, bringing a 19th-century tale of independence and betrayal to the screen.

At its centre is Isabel Archer, played by Kidman, a strong-willed young American who travels to Europe determined to live freely and avoid the limits of marriage.

Her plans change when she unexpectedly inherits a fortune from Ralph Touchett (Martin Donovan). Suddenly wealthy and admired, Isabel attracts several suitors, including the devoted Caspar Goodwood (Viggo Mortensen).

Influenced by the calculating Madame Merle (Barbara Hershey), Isabel is instead drawn to Gilbert Osmond (John Malkovich). This choice leads to many complications for all involved.

Premiering at the Venice Film Festival, the film earned two Academy Award nominations for Best Costume Design and Best Original Score and remains a bold literary adaptation.

Holy Smoke! is a darkly comic drama that follows the journey of Ruth Barron, played by Kate Winslet, a spirited young Australian woman who embarks on a transformative trip to India, where she becomes deeply involved with a spiritual group led by a charismatic guru.

Concerned by Ruth’s sudden devotion, her anxious family devises a plan to bring her back to Australia. There, they secretly arrange an intervention with the experienced cult exit counsellor P.J. Waters, played by Harvey Keitel.

Featuring notable supporting performances from Julie Hamilton and Sophie Lee, the film premiered at the Venice Film Festival.

O’Neill points out that while Campion champions female characters, her male characters are equally well-developed.

“Like Lynne Ramsey or Claire Denis, Campion is a thoughtful director, her visual style often poetic while rooted in reality, and while her films usually centre on a principal female character, all of the characters in the film - male or female - are well defined and leave a strong impression.”

The Jane Campion season runs from March 15-18. See triskelartscentre.ie for more information.