Having already carved out a sense of the absurd regarding the legal system with their work on the TV series Rake, star Richard Roxburgh and writer Peter Duncan take on a far more serious aspect of such risibility in The Correspondent through the incarceration of Australian journalist Peter Greste and the dubious charges of terrorism he faced.
For the uninitiated, Greste, a journalist and foreign correspondent, and two other Al Jazeera journalists were arrested by Egyptian authorities in Cairo in December of 2013. In June 2014, he was found guilty of falsifying news and having a negative impact on overseas perceptions of the country, sentenced to seven years in prison; the Australian Government intervened and negotiated on his behalf with a new Egyptian government.
After being deported to Australia in 2015 on the condition that he face prison or trial in his home country – something Australia did not uphold – he ultimately avoided serving any further sentence (in absentia, an Egyptian court sentenced a further three years) as he was out of Egypt at the time and did not return. Had the full sentence been served, Greste would have only been released in December 2023.
It’s a wild, frustrating story, and that mentality is carried through director Kriv Stenders‘ lens as he tethers the audience to Greste’s frame of mind during the process; Roxburgh turning in beautiful, understated work as the confused journalist. There’s a true surrealism to how the sentence played out, and the film keeps you just as exasperated as Greste is, trying to navigate a sentence for a crime he didn’t commit.
Despite the events taking place some 10 years ago, it’s depressingly apt how timely The Correspondent feels in the current climate of political unrest and the uninformed noting “Fake News” as their manner of thinking. It’s also a film that takes you aback in how it depicts the environment inside the prison for Greste. There’s an odd lightness to his reality, filled with laughter and backgammon, furthering the ultimate strength of his mindset as he refused to submit to the intrusive thoughts he carried pertaining to his sentence being some kind of twisted karma for past sins.
A film more set on emotionality and dialogue to push its story through over flashy set pieces for the sake of it, The Correspondent is a thrilling, effective view of a truly ridiculous situation that had devastating consequences. Grounded by Roxburgh’s fine performance, and having its authenticity solidified with Greste himself involved in production, this stark Australian thriller will hopefully serve as a reminder of the importance of legitimate, bold journalism and the power of staying centred in your truth.
THREE AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
The Correspondent is screening in Australian theatres from April 17th, 2025.
You can read our interviews with director Kriv Stenders here and with Richard Roxburgh & Peter Greste here.
