A Nun’s New Habit

Director:Robyn Hughan
Country: Australia
Runtime: 56’
Year: 2008

A Nun’s New Habit follows the story of Sister Carmel Wauchope, a sister of the Good Samaritans who resides in the outback town of Whyalla, not far from the recently closed Baxter detention centre. Sister Carmel kicked off her habit some 20 years ago. However, her current habit is just as profound: the plight of refugees who have been detained in the detention centre and the ongoing psychological damage and trauma suffered after their release.

Through Sister Carmel we learn the ongoing hardships the refugees face and how important it is to maintain a sense of love, compassion and humanity in today’s world; a world which often seems to be full of fundamentalism and hatred. For Sister Carmel, religious tolerance is of the utmost importance and her respect for the refugees and their Muslim faith is an inspiration. In return these young men openly adore her.

A Nun’s New Habit is a fascinating profile of a Sister with extraordinary compassion for some of the most marginalised people who have arrived on Australian shores today.