Radiance (1998) — A Landmark in Indigenous Storytelling.

Rachel Perkins’ Radiance (1998) is a quiet triumph — a raw, emotionally charged exploration of identity, sisterhood, and the lingering wounds of family and history. Adapted from Louis Nowra’s acclaimed stage play, this film marked a turning point in Australian cinema: one of the first to centre the lives and voices of Aboriginal women through an Indigenous creative lens.

Set in tropical North Queensland, Radiance brings together three estranged sisters — Nona (Deborah Mailman), Cressy (Rachael Maza), and Mae (Trisha Morton-Thomas) — who reunite for their mother’s funeral. What begins as a tense, uneasy gathering soon unravels into a reckoning with the past: buried secrets, simmering resentments, and the shared trauma of displacement and loss. Perkins deftly balances humour and heartbreak, allowing moments of levity to coexist with deep emotional truth.

The performances are extraordinary. Mailman, in her breakout film role, glows with charisma and vulnerability, while Maza and Morton-Thomas provide powerful counterpoints — each representing a different response to cultural disconnection and survival. The lush cinematography contrasts the beauty of the landscape with the turbulence of the women’s inner worlds, mirroring the tension between place and belonging that runs throughout the film.

At its core, Radiance is about the power of women reclaiming their stories — and by extension, the broader story of Aboriginal identity in contemporary Australia. Perkins’ direction is confident yet sensitive, guiding the narrative with empathy and restraint. She doesn’t overstate the politics; instead, she lets the personal speak for the political.