Jane Campion’s Palme d’Or winner The Piano is a New Zealand-set period drama about a mute woman and her daughter who arrive on the country’s rugged coast after a long journey from Scotland. Ada and Flora McGrath are portrayed by Holly Hunter and Anna Paquin, respectively. Both won Academy Awards for their performances as the mother-daughter pair.
Ada has been sold into marriage to Alisdair Stewart (Sam Neill), who, upon her arrival, insists she leave her piano behind on the beach. Besides sign language, the piano is Ada’s only way of communicating with others. Flora acts as Ada’s interpreter and is often caught in the middle of the tense relationship between Ada and Alisdair. Meanwhile, Ada grows closer to George Baines (Harvey Keitel), Alisdair’s Maori acquaintance.
Recognition for costuming, production design, and cinematography were among the many prestigious awards The Piano received upon its release in 1993. Here are sixteen stills that showcase the film’s beauty.
