Isaac Crawley and Leigh Smith will play a military officer and humanitarian lawyer who form a romantic relationship in Lene Chor’s upcoming queer drama Sacrifice, with the pair leading a cast that also includes Richard Norton, Lisa McCune, Marina Prior, and Grant Piro.
The feature film highlights the same-sex relationship between characters Blake Robinson (Crawley) and James Hunter (Smith) against the background of the Australian Army in the early 2010s and the personal turmoil that develops through the former’s unwavering sense of duty to his lineage and love for James.
Norton and McCune will play Blake’s parents, Walter and Rose, while Piro and Prior take on the roles of Charlie and Melinda Hunter. James Mason will also feature as Australian soldier Nicholas Swift. Smith wrote the script, with the story based on his 2018 short film of the same name.
Lucinda Bruce is producing the film while Mark Kenfield is on board as DOP. The project has already gained support through the Defence Force Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and Intersex Information Service.
The creative team aims to shoot in Melbourne across six weeks in the middle of the year ahead of 2025 release. A distributor is yet to be confirmed.
McCune described the project as a “collaboration of dedicated talent in a story of equality and love”.
“When a filmmaker can see you in a role and you respond to the material, there’s a wonderful synergy in that,” says McCune.
“The journeys travelled by these characters are tough, and many will see their own struggles reflected in the film. Respect and acceptance are the two big takeaways for me.”
Norton said the idea of playing a former soldier who suffers from PTSD was both exciting and scary.
“The drama and the friction are something I am looking forward to playing,” he said.
Mason said he felt humbled to be part of a story that highlighted humanity.
“Sacrifice shows that regardless of our sexual preferences or any other individual traits, we are driven by the same needs and desires,” he said.
“Sometimes we need to fight for happiness and to be true to ourselves.”