The Water Diviner (2014)

An Australian man travels to Turkey after the Battle of Gallipoli to try and locate his three missing sons.

Director:

Russell Crowe

Writers:

Andrew Knight, Andrew Anastasios

Stars:

Russell Crowe, Olga Kurylenko, Jai Courtney

14 wins & 13 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Russell Crowe	...	Connor
Olga Kurylenko	...	Ayshe
Yilmaz Erdogan	...	Major Hasan
Cem Yilmaz	...	Sgt. Jemal
Jai Courtney	...	Lt Colonel Hughes
Dylan Georgiades	...	Orhan
Steve Bastoni	...	Omer
Isabel Lucas	...	Natalia
Salih Kalyon	...	Dr. Ibrahim
Megan Gale	...	Fatma
Ryan Corr	...	Art
James Fraser	...	Edward
Ben O'Toole	...	Henry
Jacqueline McKenzie	...	Eliza
Jack Patterson	...	Young Art

Storyline

After the Battle of Gallipoli, in 1915, an Australian farmer, Connor (Russell Crowe), travels to Turkey to find his 3 missing sons. While staying at a hotel in Istanbul, he meets Ayshe (Olga Kurylenko), the hotel manager. And tries to find a way to Gallipoli.

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Plot Keywords:

world war one | gallipoli | australian | battle of gallipoli | denial of armenian genocide | 

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Taglines:

To honour a promise. To find his sons. To make his peace.

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Genres:

Drama | History | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for war violence including some disturbing images

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Facebook [Turkey]

Country:

Australia USA Turkey

Language:

English Turkish Greek Russian

Release Date:

26 December 2014 (Australia)

Also Known As:

Camino a Estambul

Filming Locations:

Burra, South Australia, Australia

Box Office

Budget:

$22,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,220,335, 26 April 2015, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$4,190,530, 28 June 2015

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$14,747,799, 15 May 2015

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fear of God Films, Hopscotch Features, RatPac Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The armorers also participated in the film's pre-production boot camp, instructing the cast on the proper use of the weapons. Thell Reed, who had worked with actor-director Russell Crowe on numerous films, beginning as his gun coach on 'The Quick and the Dead' (1995), said: "Some of the actors had never handled guns before, but I was impressed at how fast they learned. We briefed them on safety procedures and also the correct techniques for 1915, how they loaded their guns, how they shouldered them and how they aimed and fired. We researched actual training manuals from that time because styles change with different eras."

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Goofs

Movie shows clearly that Connor enters Istanbul through the port of Haydarpasa (at the Asian side of the city). The boy drags him to the hotel which is supposed to be around Sultanahmet (European side). This is verified by the boy's comment "Sultanahmet, we go!" and with the camera shots several times downhill from the hotel with a clear view of Galata tower from the old city. The problem is; Connor follows the boy running from Haydarpasa to Sultanahmet in a couple of minutes, which is impossible due to the Bosphorus waterway between the Black sea and the Marmara sea passing through the city. (They should have taken a boat).

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Quotes

Lt-Col Cyril Hughes: Yeah, We both know it, but why change everything for one father who can't stay put?
Major Hasan: Because he is the only father who came looking.

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Connections

Featured in The Making of the Water Diviner (2015)

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Soundtracks

Hey Onbesli
Performed by Cem Yilmaz
Annon. Traditional

User Reviews

A 'Must See' on the Big Screen!

I've just come back from the cinema after seeing this movie and will now be emailing everyone on my contact list that it is a 'must see' on the big screen. Not just for Australians, but for everyone, as it deals with universal themes. The cinematography is stunningly beautiful, the casting and acting is superb and the story is fascinating and never lags. A great blend of emotion and action, and the occasional bit of humour. Last August marked the 100th anniversary of the beginning of WW1, which influenced all our lives. It is so important for people everywhere, and especially young people to learn about what has happened in the past and to gain an understanding of history from the point of view of others, and to learn about their cultures too. This movie, set mainly in Turkey, about 4 years after the end of the war, is one small story of one man's search, set within a much larger story of the meaning and consequences of war. Superb acting and direction by Russel Crowe. Don't miss it !