Nitram director Justin Kurzel on its eight AACTA wins

It attracted criticism before anyone had even seen it, but controversial film Nitram swept the AACTAs.

Australian director Justin Kurzel was shocked his divisive film, Nitram, swept the AACTA Awards in a glittering ceremony in Sydney yesterday.

“I was pretty shocked by how many we got,” Kurzel told news.com.au, citing the strong competition in the Best Film category, which also included High Ground and The Dry.

Nitram won eight AACTAs, the local industry’s highest accolade, including Best Film, directing for Kurzel, original screenplay for Shaun Grant and all four acting categories for Caleb Landry-Jones, Judy Davis, Essie Davis and Anthony LaPaglia.

The awards haul could be seen as vindication for Nitram, which generated controversy from the moment it was announced that Kurzel would craft a film based on the lead-up to Australia’s worst modern-day massacre, the mass shooting at Port Arthur in Tasmania.

Detractors argued that there was no reason for Nitram with its potential to further traumatise Port Arthur victims and the community, while others were willing to give Kurzel and his collaborators the benefit of the doubt and reserve judgment until they had seen it.

Caleb Landry-Jones in Nitram.

For Kurzel, he saw the AACTA honours as affirming the production’s approach.

“I think the industry is acknowledging the way in which we went about the film, which is with sensitivity and respect, it was telling us we approached it in the right way,” he said.

“It confirmed to us that the way in which we told that story, what the focus was on in that film, people have responded to it, especially in the industry. It is a relief, and we feel very honoured that was recognised last night.

“At the same time, it doesn’t make it an easy film and it doesn’t mean it’s a film that is for everyone.

“We’ve been really clear from the beginning that there are those that we know will not want to see the film, and we’ve been understanding about that. It’s been about giving an opportunity to those that do want to see it and have a discussion about it.

“I don’t think we’ve ever tried to convince people or convince everyone to see the film, I really think this film is very particular.”

Justin Kurzel after winning the AACTA for Best Director in Film. (Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images for AFI)

Starring Landry-Jones as the gunman, Nitram is focuses on the years leading up to the act which saw 35 people killed and many more wounded.

Through its character study of a mass murderer, Nitram is at its core a treatise on gun control.

Australia is famously held up as an example on how to respond in the face of a mass shooting after the Howard Government instituted gun reforms including a weapons buyback scheme.

In the 25 years since, there are now more guns in Australia than there was before Port Arthur. Nitram’s filmmakers want to illuminate this distressing fact.

“Everyone though there were pretty rock-solid reforms and that wasn’t the case, and there has to be a stronger awareness of that,” Kurzel said.

“We live in a pretty extraordinary place that has very tight gun reform, but it is in danger of being loosened, and the film is bringing a light to that. We always thought that was very important.

Essie Davis won Best Supporting Actress for her role in Nitram. (Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images for AFI)

“Our hope is [the AACTA wins] keep promoting conversations and dialogue about gun reform in Australia and about why that event happened. I’ve been really encouraged by the conversations that have been had since the film has been out theatrically and on Stan.

“You need to have them, we need to rub up against those dark chapters in our history and have conversations about why they happened.”

The AACTA wins adds to Nitram’s Best Actor accolade from the Cannes Film Festival, where it premiered in May in the official competition, the first Australian film to do so in a decade.

Nitram is in select cinemas and streaming now on Stan

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