The Sapphires (film)
| The Sapphires | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Wayne Blair |
| Screenplay by | Keith Thompson Tony Briggs |
| Based on | The Sapphires by Tony Briggs |
| Produced by | Rosemary Blight Kylie Du Fresne |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Warwick Thornton |
| Edited by | Dany Cooper |
| Music by | Cezary Skubiszewski |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Hopscotch Films |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 103 minutes |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $8–10 million |
| Box office | $20.4 million |
The Sapphires is a 2012 Australian musical comedy-drama film based on the 2004 stage play The Sapphires by Tony Briggs, which is loosely based on a real-life 1960s girl group that included Briggs' mother and aunt. The film is directed by Wayne Blair and written by Keith Thompson and Briggs.
The Sapphires is about four Yorta Yorta (Aboriginal Australian) women: Gail (Deborah Mailman), Julie (Jessica Mauboy), Kay (Shari Sebbens), and Cynthia (Miranda Tapsell); who are discovered by a talent scout (Chris O'Dowd), form a music group named The Sapphires, and travel 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. Filming took place in and around Albury, Australia and Ho Chi Minh City, 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.