Glowing Reviews for Writer/ Director Ben Lawrence’s ‘Hearts and Bones’ Following World Premiere

After having its world premiere at the Sydney Film Festival on Saturday, writer/ director Ben Lawrence’s narrative feature film debut, Hearts and Bones, has been praised for its morally complex and unflinching depiction of two men who are battling persistent demons from their past. 

Amongst an enormous line-up of impressive Australian films at this year’s festival, The Sydney Morning Herald has hailed the Hearts and Bones as the “most moving”.

Screen Daily said of the film, “An intimate film tackling an expansive subject — the treatment of refugees around the globe, and the way the world processes the traumas that lead to such urgent, widespread immigration — this is a poignant and morally complex drama. As well as showcasing Weaving’s talents, it also proves a calling card for its director, as well as a stirring debut for Sudanese-Australian truck driver-turned-actor Andrew Luri”.

The film follows a war photographer (Hugo Weaving) and a refugee (Andrew Luri) who both discover a photograph that threatens to destroy them both.

The film will be released in Australia and New Zealand later this year.