Production has wrapped on new Richard Borxburgh film The Correspondent, a feature about Latvian-Australian foreign correspondent Peter Greste.
Greste, along with two of his colleagues, was arrested in Cairo in 2013 while working for Al Jazeera and charged with terrorism offences.
The Correspondent recounts these events in a feature narrative directed by Kriv Stenders (Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan, Red Dog) from a screenplay written by Peter Duncan (Rake, Operation Buffalo), based on Greste’s memoir The First Casualty.
The official synopsis: ‘Christmas, 2013: Journalist Peter Greste accepts a last-minute assignment to cover a colleague’s post in Cairo during the Arab Spring. Days into his assignment, he is arrested and accused of terrorism – a pawn in a deadly game of ancient rivalries. Plunged into an inexplicable nightmare with only his wits keeping him alive, Greste’s survival means staring down a powerful regime to fight for freedom.’
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Richard Roxburgh (Rake, Elvis) leads the cast as Greste, with Julian Maroun (Fighting Season) and Rahel Romahn (Shantaram) portraying Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed, the two colleagues arrested alongside Greste. Rounding out the cast are Yael Stone (Orange is the New Black), Nic Cassim (Mr Inbetween), Mojean Aria (Shayda), Fayssal Bazzi (Stateless), Majid Shokor (House of Gods), Josh McConville (Elvis) and Hazem Shammas (The Clearing).
The film is produced by Carmel Travers, a former foreign correspondent, through her company Pop Family Entertainment.
‘The Correspondent is a story that resonates strongly with so many global events,’ said Travers, ‘and the amazing Australian cast led by Richard Roxburgh and featuring Julian Maroun, Rahel Romahn, Yael Stone and Mojean Aria have delivered powerful and very moving performances. We can’t wait to bring this directorial tour-de-force from Kriv Stenders to the big screen.’
The production has been funded by Screen Australia, in association with Screen NSW and with support from Jovial Planet Productions, Spectrum Films, Dreamlight Studio and the Adelaide Film Festival Investment Fund.
Maslow Entertainment is distributing The Correspondent in Australia and New Zealand, with Moviehouse Entertainment managing international sales.
