Prima Facie reminds us that in valuing truth, however heart-wrenching, we find beauty.

“Prima Facie”: A legal claim that has sufficient evidence to proceed to trial or judgement.

A young, ambitious and somewhat ruthless trial lawyer named Tessa, played by Cynthia Erivo, is successful in defending accused perpetrators of sexual assault. Just as her career is taking off, a life-altering event forces her to reckon with her belief in the judicial system that was once the core of her identity.

Cynthia Erivo wears a barrister’s wig as Tessa in the film adaption of Prima Facie.
Caption: Cynthia Erivo wears a barrister’s wig as Tessa in the film adaption of Prima Facie.

When Erivo’s character finds herself on the stand as a victim being cross examined by a defence lawyer, all her legal knowledge and expertise cannot protect her from becoming caught up in a system weighted in favour of those with power and influence.

Based on the award-winning play by Suzie Miller, Prima Facie blends gripping storytelling with a powerful call for justice reform for victim survivors of sexual violence. An agent for change which has been used to inspire change by engaging audiences, legal professionals, educators, and policymakers around the world.

Now adapted for the screen, the story expands its examination of gender and class to include the intersection of gender, class and race. Through the collaboration of Cynthia Erivo and Solome Williams as Executive Producers, the adaptation brings a new perspective to a story that has already become a catalyst for conversations about legal and social reform, with hopes of pushing the envelope further.

Directed by Susanna White, Prima Facie is scheduled for theatrical release in the UK and Ireland on 13 November 2026, followed by Australia on 14 January 2027.

“Prima Facie was first sent to me when it was still a play on its original run in Australia. I knew within pages that this was a film I had to make… I connected on several levels. Firstly, there was Tessa as an outsider, having to fight to succeed in a world that was very different from the one she grew up in and make it her own. Next there was the importance of the message of the film. I had seen people very close to me changed forever by the experience of sexual assault and the potential of taking the message to a worldwide cinema audience was important to me.”

- Susanna White, Director and Executive Producer

Tags
Gender-Based Violence
Gender Roles
Arts and Culture