Tue 10 Nov · 1pm
Chau Chak Wing Museum · Camperdown
a scholar and filmmaker unpicks Penelope from Homer to Nolan
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In this talk, Homeric scholar and filmmaker Ben Ferris examines some of the most compelling portraits of Penelope across literature and film. Ferris argues that, from Homer onwards, gaps and ambiguities emerge in our understanding of the famously faithful and patient wife of Odysseus. It is within these very gaps that subsequent writers, from James Joyce to Margaret Atwood, and filmmakers, from Jean-Luc Godard to Christopher Nolan, have constructed their own formidable—and yet radically different—versions of Penelope. Along the way, Ferris will share his own interpretation of the character, screening excerpts from his 2009 feature film Penelope, set in Croatia during the Balkan Wars of the 1990s.
About our speaker
Dr Ben Ferris is a lecturer and tutor in the Department of Classics and Ancient History at the University of Sydney. He is a film writer, director and producer with the AACTA-winning company Breathless Films. His forthcoming book, Cinematic Time in the Odyssey, is being published by Bloomsbury Academic in February 2027.
Penelope is currently available on Amazon Prime.
Cinematic Time in the Odyssey is now available for pre-order through Bloomsbury Press.
Getting there
Chau Chak Wing Museum, Camperdown
Directions ↗Quick answers
When is Unravelling Penelope?
Tue 10 Nov 2026, 1pm.
Where is it?
Chau Chak Wing Museum, Camperdown, NSW.
How much is it?
It is free.
Where do I find out more?
On eventbrite.com.au. The button at the top of this page goes straight there.
How do I find out which of my mates are keen?
Tap "Ask your mates if they're keen" on this page. You get one link for the group chat, and your mates answer keen, maybe or can't in their browser, with no app and no sign-up. It is free.
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