by Abhi Parasher
Take My Hand stars Radha Mitchell, Adam Demos (Sex/Life, UnREAL), British actor Bart Edwards (The Witching, UnREAL), Meg Fraser (Bloody Hell, Barons) and reality television star Xavier Molyneux (Big Brother, Love You Like That). Former Neighbours star and singer, Natalie Bassingthwaite is also featured.
Director Raftopolous co-wrote the screenplay with Dave Paterson, based on the extraordinary true love story between himself and the woman he was destined to spend his life with, Claire Jensz, who is Executive Producer on the production [both pictured, image courtesy of John Raftopolous’s Facebook page].
In Take My Hand, they are Laura and Michael. As a vibrant young Australian woman, Laura forges a successful banking career in London and seemingly has the perfect marriage. Her world is turned upside down when she is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and her husband starts to show his true colours. When a tragic accident leaves Laura a widowed mother with three sons, she returns home to Australia, and is reunited with Michael, a high school friend and a divorcee with one daughter, who has loved Laura since they were teenagers. In each other, with their newly merged family in the small country town they grew up in, the couple’s lifelong search for happiness, peace and mutual love is finally realised.
Laura is portrayed in her adult and younger years by Mitchell and Fraser respectively. Demos and Molyneux respectively play Michael and Young Michael, while Edwards portrays Laura’s first husband, Jason.
In addition to Raftopoulos as writer-director, key production credits include Blake Northfield (Wyrmwood: Apocalypse, Escape and Evasion, Streamline) as producer through his company Bronte Pictures, Director of Photography Wade Muller HKSC ACS (Escape and Evasion, Occupation: Rainfall), Production Designer Esther Rosenberg (Fear Below), Costume Designer Tracey Rose Sparks (Red Billabong) and Hair and Make-Up Designer Billie Weston (Elvis, Westworld, Ticket to Paradise).
Take My Hand is Raftopoulos’ debut feature film. Paterson is an award-winning writer with three short films to his credit, and additional material on feature 2067.
