Provocative, funny and profoundly moving, Bastardy is the inspirational story of one man’s journey into the light. For forty years and with infectious humour and optimism, Jack Charles has juggled a life of crime with another successful career – acting. Since founding the first Aboriginal theatre company in the 1970s, Jack has performed with Australia’s most renowned actors and directors in feature films, TV series and hundreds of plays.

Filmmaker Amiel Courtin-Wilson follows Jack over seven years, gradually blurring the line between director and accomplice as Jack continually traverses the criminal and acting worlds. However, the law finally catches up with Jack and when he faces a jail sentence he might not survive, he is forced to decide if he can go straight for the first time in his life.