Academy Award winner Russell Crowe (“Gladiator”) makes his directorial debut on “The Water Diviner,” an epic and inspiring tale of one man’s life-changing journey of discovery.
Crowe also stars in the film as Australian farmer Joshua Connor, who, in 1919, goes in search of his three missing sons, last known to have fought against the Turks in the bloody Battle of Gallipoli. Arriving in Istanbul, he is thrust into a vastly different world, where he encounters others who have suffered their own losses in the conflict: Ayshe (Olga Kurylenko), a strikingly beautiful but guarded hotelier raising a child alone; her young, spirited son, Orhan (Dylan Georgiades), who finds a friend in Connor; and Major Hasan (Yilmaz Erdoğan), a Turkish officer who fought against Connor’s boys and who may be this father’s only hope. With seemingly insurmountable obstacles in his path, Connor must travel across the battle-scarred Turkish landscape to find the truth…and his own peace.
Crowe directed “The Water Diviner” from a screenplay by Andrew Knight and Andrew Anastasios, who were also executive producers on the film. The film was produced by Andrew Mason, Keith Rodger and Troy Lum, with James Packer, Brett Ratner, Kerry Stokes, Tim Worner, Angus Ross and John Collee also serving as executive producers.
The film’s international ensemble cast also includes Olga Kurylenko, Yilmaz Erdogan, Cem Yilmaz, Jai Courtney, Ryan Corr, James Fraser, Ben O’Toole, Jacqueline McKenzie and Isabel Lucas.
The team collaborating with Crowe behind the scenes included Oscar-winning director of photography Andrew Lesnie (“The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”), production designer Christopher Kennedy, editor Matt Villa, and costume designer Tess Schofield. The score was composed by two-time Oscar nominee David Hirschfelder (“Elizabeth,” “Shine”).
“The Water Diviner” recently won three Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards, including Best Picture. The film also won in the categories of Best Supporting Actor (Erdogan) and Best Costume Design. It had received five additional nominations, for Best Lead Actor (Crowe), Best Supporting Actress (McKenzie), Best Original Screenplay, Best Production Design and Best Editing.
Ratpac Entertainment and Seven Network Australia present, in association with Megiste Films, DC Tour, EJM Productions and Axphon, a Hopscotch Features and Fear of God Films Production, “The Water Diviner.” Opening in limited release on April 24, 2015, the film is being distributed in the United States by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.
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