As plans for Canakkale/Gallipoli commemorations in Turkey firm up, Hurriyet newspaper is reporting that Russell Crowe and Prince Charles will be attending the dawn service. They also mention Russell is being considered for special recognition for ‘The Water Diviner’ such is the goodwill generated with Turkish audiences by the film. What a wonderful accolade that would be. See below:

“The Turkish government, meanwhile, is considering decorating Crowe for his recent film “The Water Diviner,” which is set four years after the Gallipoli campaign in World War I and follows the journey of an Australian farmer who travels to Turkey to discover the fate of his three sons.” (Hurriyet Daily News)

This sort of decoration is not unprecedented and can go both ways. Turkish director, Tolga Ornek, was awarded an Order of Australia for his film “Gelibolu-The Front Line Experience”. If you haven’t seen his doco, it’s a revelation, and brings the Turkish experience to life like no other doco I’ve seen.

See the full Hurriyet article here.