The Sapphires (film)
| The Sapphires | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Wayne Blair |
| Produced by |
Rosemary Blight Kylie Du Fresne |
| Screenplay by | Keith Thompson Tony Briggs |
| Based on |
The Sapphires by Tony Briggs |
| Starring |
Chris O'Dowd Deborah Mailman Jessica Mauboy Shari Sebbens Miranda Tapsell Tory Kittles Eka Darville |
| Music by | Cezary Skubiszewski |
| Cinematography | Warwick Thornton |
| Edited by | Dany Cooper |
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Production
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| Distributed by | Hopscotch Films (Australia) The Weinstein Company (US) |
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Release date
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Running time
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103 minutes 98 minutes (US release) |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $8–10 million |
| Box office | $20,423,628 |
The Sapphires is a 2012 Australian musical comedy-drama film based on the 2004 stage play of the same name which is loosely based on a true story. The film is directed by Wayne Blair and written by Keith Thompson and Tony Briggs, the latter of whom wrote the play.
The Sapphires is about four indigenous women, Gail (Deborah Mailman), Julie (Jessica Mauboy), Kay (Shari Sebbens) and Cynthia (Miranda Tapsell), who are discovered by a talent scout (Chris O'Dowd), and form a music group named The Sapphires, travelling to Vietnam in 1968 to sing for troops during the war. Production began in 2010, with the casting of the four members of The Sapphires and filming taking place in and around Albury in Australia and Vietnam during August and September 2011.
The Sapphires made its world premiere at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival on 19 May 2012 during its out of competition screenings, was theatrically released in Australia on 9 August and received a limited release in the United States on 22 March 2013.
In 1968 Australia, Gail and Cynthia head into town for a talent contest and their young sister, Julie is forbidden to go because she has a child and is too young, until she bribes a fellow neighbour to take her into town. An alcoholic, Irish talent scout, Dave Lovelace, is scolded by his boss for being late despite him sleeping in his car that is near work. After the girls lose the talent contest, even with Julie coming in, Dave gives Gail her guitar back and as Dave is about to leave, Julie hands him a piece of paper, showing that the troops need singers for Vietnam. Soon, Dave goes to make a call and he says they have been accepted a spot to audition in Melbourne. Back at their place, Gail, Cynthia and Julie's mother tells him he can take them but Julie until Julie's father tells him not to worry about her. Advised by their grandmother, they meet up with their cousin Kay, who had been living in Melbourne for 10 years after the government took her because she had qualified as a white person. She rejects the offer of joining them, but later changes her mind and meets up at their uncle's place. After days of training their moves, they are almost ready until Julie gives Cynthia a letter from her fiance that he is going to call it off. Despite that, they manage to audition very well and Kay comes up with the group's name, The Sapphires, after looking at Cynthia's engagement ring.
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