Peter Weir | 1975 | Australia | 1h55m | Presented in the original English audio with English subtitles.
PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK is the film that placed Australian cinema on the international map. Set in 1900, it follows a group of schoolgirls who disappear during a Valentine’s Day school excursion. If you’re looking for an ending that comes gift-wrapped with a nice bow on top, you won’t find it here. Weir famously removed any explicit answers from the final cut and discouraged cast and crew from speculating on what happened.
The production leans heavily on atmosphere over explanation. Hanging Rock itself almost feels like an active presence, indifferent to human order and authority. Natural sound, slow motion, and the hypnotic panpipe score create a drifting, suspended rhythm. Rachel Roberts’ performance as the headmistress is especially striking, as her certainty collapses when all rational explanations fail to provide an answer.
The film arrived at the beginning of the Australian New Wave, alongside works such as WALKABOUT, THE LAST WAVE, and MY BRILLIANT CAREER. Its influence extended far beyond Australia, shaping the sensibilities of filmmakers like Sofia Coppola and David Lynch.
Today, PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK is studied as a landmark in how landscape, silence, and suggestion can carry meaning without resolution.
As many of you know, FOMO Cinema is owned and operated by two Australians. I grew up around these landscapes. To me, this movie is like watching a mystery unfold in my own backyard. If you love Australia, or have ever wanted to explore its wide, open spaces, I think you too will love this film.
LOCATION: FOMO Secret Cinema, Bazari Orbeliani, Tbilisi.
HOW TO FIND US: Enter via Atoneli St above Carrefour. Take the stairs on the left behind the jewellery stand. The cinema entrance is one flight up in the stairwell.
FOMO Secret Cinema • Bazari Orbeliani, 0102 Tbilisi, Georgia
