Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

25/01/2023

02/02/2023

L-R: Michela De Rossi, Phoebe Grainer, Jana Zvedeniuk, Matt Testro

SBS

Many Saints of Newark breakout and lead in Netflix's upcoming Italian epic Briganti, Italian star Michela De Rossi heads an incredible cast in SBS' WW2 dramedy While The Men Are Away, with shooting underway in Sydney. Red Arrow Studios International has boarded for International.

Joining Michela will be key cast Matt Testro (Jack Irish, The Gloaming), Phoebe Grainer, Jana Zvedeniuk (Bump), and supporting cast Googoorewon Knox (Black Snow), Sacha Horler (The Dressmaker, The Letdown), Tara Morice (Dance Academy, Strictly Ballroom), Katrina Foster (Rake) Ella Scott Lynch (Upright), Rebecca Massey (Utopia), Tony Llewellyn-Jones (Colin from Accounts), Evan Stanhope (Thor: Love & Thunder, Christmas Ransom), Jing Xuan Chan (Harrow) Warren Lee and introducing Zavier Morris. Previously announced cast members include Benedict Hardie (Nautilus, The Invisible Man), Gemma Ward (The Great Gatsby), Max McKenna (Jagged Little Pill, Muriel's Wedding the Musical); and Shaka Cook (Hamilton).

While The Men Are Away is a queer revisionist historical dramedy for SBS set in 1940s rural Australia. While the men are off fighting in WWII, the people who have been excluded from power suddenly find themselves running the show. Two Women's Land Army recruits from Sydney arrive in the country and undergo a heady course in race relations, rural politics, spirituality, sex, and personal growth - oh, and farming.

De Rossi plays Francesca, an Italian immigrant struggling to run her husband's farm after he enlists (or does he?) Frankie is joined by Gwen (McKenna) and Esther (Zvedeniuk), somewhat naive city-recruits of the Women's Land Army to deliver the farm's annual apple harvest. Helping Frankie is Aboriginal farmhand Kathleen (Grainer), and conscientious objector Robert (Testro).

As the tragedy of war gets close to them their lives become entwined in surprising ways that test their relationships, prejudices and identities in ways they never could have imagined. And once they experience life as it could be, it's impossible to go back.

Series Showrunner and Co-Creator, Kim Wilson says I'm beyond thrilled to have Michela bringing her incredible talent to our lead role. The character of Frankie is fiercely independent, intelligent, charming and complex. Michela delivers all of this, and so much more. She's the perfect addition to a phenomenal cast.

SBS' Commissioning Editor, Julie Eckersley says: While the Men Are Away is an irreverent, witty and queer celebration of social outsiders, and the revolution of being who you really are. The extraordinary talent of Michela joining the cast puts a cherry on the top of what promises to be a truly delightful and heart-warming series.

Rodrigo Herrera Ibarguengoytia, VP Scripted Acquisitions & Co-productions, at Red Arrow Studios International added: We were immediately drawn to the show's witty and irreverent take on World War II, offering fresh and distinct perspectives that we're convinced will resonate with international audiences. Michela's addition caps off a talented ensemble cast that will bring this heartfelt vision to life and we can't wait to take out this title worldwide.

Director Elissa Down (Ivy + Bean, The Black Balloon) will lead the eight-part series While The Men Are Away, with director Monica Zanetti (Ellie & Abbie (& Ellie's Dead Aunt), Iggy & Ace) joining to direct an episode.

While The Men Are Away is produced by AACTA Award winning producer Lisa Shaunessy (Sissy, 2067, Hipsters), in her first scripted series under the Arcadia banner.

While The Men Are Away is created by acclaimed writer Kim Wilson (Wentworth, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart), Alexandra Burke (Sissy) and Monica Zanetti (Ellie & Abbie (& Ellie's Dead Aunt)). The series is written and developed by Kim, Alexandra and Monica, alongside Magda Wozniak, Enoch Mailangi, Jada Alberts and Sam Icklow.

While The Men Are Away is an Arcadia production for SBS with major production investment from Screen Australia in association with SBS. Financed in association with Screen NSW. Red Arrow is managing international sales.

While The Men Are Away will premiere on SBS in 2023.

For a PDF of this media release, click here.
LINK: https://www.sbs.com.au/aboutus/michela-de-rossi-to-lead-groundbreaking...
See more stories from sbs

Asia, Australia & Oceanic Stories

08/07/2025

SBS strengthens commitment to inclusion with new commissioning guidelines

SBS strengthens commitment to inclusion with new commissioning guidelines 8 July, 2025 Media releases SBS has launched new Commissioning Inclusion Guidelin...

08/07/2025

Secrets, Spies and Sabotage: 40 years on, SBS podcast investigates historic bombing of Greenpeace's Rainbow Warrior

Secrets, Spies and Sabotage: 40 years on, SBS podcast investigates historic bomb...

07/07/2025

SBS Farewells Chair George Savvides AM

SBS Farewells Chair George Savvides AM 7 July, 2025 Media releases Born of Greek Cypriot parents, Mr Savvides joined the SBS Board as Deputy Chair in Febru...

30/06/2025

SBS On Demand boosts global news offering with launch of France 24 FAST Channel

SBS On Demand boosts global news offering with launch of France 24 FAST Channel 30 June, 2025 Media releases SBS is expanding its international news offeri...

27/06/2025

Game, set, action! Screen Australia and ABC announce new mini-series Goolagong

27 06 2025 - Media release Game, set, action! Screen Australia and ABC announce new mini-series Goolagong Marton Csokas and Lila McGuire of Goolagong. Image c...

26/06/2025

Buckle up for Great Australian Road Trips launching 31 July on SBS and SBS On Demand

Buckle up for Great Australian Road Trips launching 31 July on SBS and SBS On De...

20/06/2025

Hit, run, oh sh#t: NITV and SBS get RECKLESS with filming underway in Western Australia

Hit, run, oh sh#t: NITV and SBS get RECKLESS with filming underway in Western Au...

13/06/2025

Pure Drama and Fierce Rivalries set to dominate the world's most iconic sporting event

Pure Drama and Fierce Rivalries set to dominate the world's most iconic spor...

12/06/2025

50 Years Strong: SBS and NITV Supercharge NAIDOC Week 2025 in a joint 50th celebration

50 Years Strong: SBS and NITV Supercharge NAIDOC Week 2025 in a joint 50th celeb...

06/06/2025

Award-Winning TV Creators Richard Gadd, Sally Wainwright and Soo Hugh Headline Future Vision 2025

06 06 2025 - Media release Award-Winning TV Creators Richard Gadd, Sally Wainwri...

03/06/2025

Stories of love, loyalty and self-discovery among six shortlisted Digital Originals, as applications open for 2025

Stories of love, loyalty and self-discovery among six shortlisted Digital Origin...

28/05/2025

SBS celebrates 50 years of reflecting a diverse and contemporary Australia

SBS celebrates 50 years of reflecting a diverse and contemporary Australia 28 May, 2025 Media releases Marking 50 years of broadcasting on 9 June 2025, SBS...

28/05/2025

ABS and Verticloud announce a Strategic Partnership to accelerate Digital Transformation through Salesforce Communications Cloud

ABS and Verticloud announce a Strategic Partnership to accelerate Digital Transf...

22/05/2025

SBS and Screen Australia showcase the next wave of Australian storytellers with Digital Originals

SBS and Screen Australia showcase the next wave of Australian storytellers with ...

22/05/2025

Rune Pedersen unpacks How Humans Talk in new SBS Audio podcast

Rune Pedersen unpacks How Humans Talk in new SBS Audio podcast 22 May, 2025 Media releases Ever caught yourself using baby talk with your pet and wondered ...

19/05/2025

Eurovision delivers strong Total TV audiences for SBS, dazzling more than 2.21 million Australians tuning in

Eurovision delivers strong Total TV audiences for SBS, dazzling more than 2.21 m...

16/05/2025

Proper Loved Up Stage One Recipients Announced

Proper Loved Up Stage One Recipients Announced 16 May, 2025 Media releases Screen Australia's First Nations Department, the Australian Broadcasting Cor...

15/05/2025

Australia's boldest network SBS launches new brand campaign: We Go There'

Australia's boldest network SBS launches new brand campaign: We Go There...

15/05/2025

We Go There SBS On Demand's new Hub is entirely bold and unmistakably SBS

We Go There SBS On Demand's new Hub is entirely bold and unmistakably SBS 15 May, 2025 Media releases The We Go There Hub brings together over 300 ti...

14/05/2025

ABS and SpaceBridge to Join Forces to Strengthen Managed Services Across Europe, Middle East & Africa

ABS and SpaceBridge to Join Forces to Strengthen Managed Services Across Europe,...

13/05/2025

Alone Australia Season 3: The Reunion

Alone Australia Season 3: The Reunion 13 May, 2025 Media releases As the latest season nears its end, SBS's hit series brings full cast together for re...

13/05/2025

Teletimes interviews ABS CEO, Mark Rigolle

Teletimes interviews ABS CEO, Mark Rigolle...

12/05/2025

And They're Off! The Pure Drama of the Cycling Grand Tours Continues on SBS, Australia's Home of Cycling

And They're Off! The Pure Drama of the Cycling Grand Tours Continues on SBS,...

12/05/2025

Australian Filmmaker Lucy Mckendrick Set For Directing Debut with Dark Comedy Fangs

10 05 2025 - Media release Australian Filmmaker Lucy Mckendrick Set For Directin...

07/05/2025

SBS and NITV mark National Reconciliation Week with compelling premieres recognising the strength and resilience of First Nations peoples

SBS and NITV mark National Reconciliation Week with compelling premieres recogni...

07/05/2025

SBS commences search for a new Western Sydney production hub location

SBS commences search for a new Western Sydney production hub location 7 May, 2025 Media releases SBS has today launched a Request for Expressions of Intere...

02/05/2025

SBS On Demand achieves stellar month on the back of Alone Australia and The Handmaid's Tale

SBS On Demand achieves stellar month on the back of Alone Australia and The Hand...

01/05/2025

Screen Australia empowers 100+ distinctive Australian narratives

01 05 2025 - Media release Screen Australia empowers 100 distinctive Australian narratives All The Boys Are Here writer/director Goran Stolevski and It s All...

30/04/2025

Slam poet Huda the Goddess wins 2025 Les Murray Award

Slam poet Huda the Goddess wins 2025 Les Murray Award 30 April, 2025 Media releases Australia for UNHCR and SBS are proud to announce that Huda Fadlelmawla...

30/04/2025

SBS, NITV and NIDA partner to empower the next generation of screen creatives

SBS, NITV and NIDA partner to empower the next generation of screen creatives 30 April, 2025 Media releases SBS, National Indigenous Television (NITV) and ...

23/04/2025

We heard that you could use a little pick-me-up, so get ready to sh-sh-shake it goodit's almost time for the Eurovision Song Contest!

We heard that you could use a little pick-me-up, so get ready to sh-sh-shake it ...

22/04/2025

McAvaney takes the lead for SBS' Coverage of the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in September

McAvaney takes the lead for SBS' Coverage of the World Athletics Championshi...

16/04/2025

Finalists announced! Five stand-out brands shortlisted for SBS Media's Sustainability Challenge

Finalists announced! Five stand-out brands shortlisted for SBS Media's Susta...

15/04/2025

Claudia Karvan, Tom Gleeson, and Mark Coles Smith join in the adventure of a lifetime Who Do You Think You Are?

Claudia Karvan, Tom Gleeson, and Mark Coles Smith join in the adventure of a lif...

15/04/2025

SBS and Volleyball World sign landmark deal for Beach Volleyball World Championships in Adelaide

SBS and Volleyball World sign landmark deal for Beach Volleyball World Champions...

14/04/2025

SBS becomes first Australian broadcaster to have near-and long-term carbon reduction targets validated by the SBTi

SBS becomes first Australian broadcaster to have near-and long-term carbon reduc...

11/04/2025

Isn't that Insightful? Kumi Taguchi dives deeper into Insight's taboo topics in podcast return

Isn't that Insightful? Kumi Taguchi dives deeper into Insight's taboo to...

09/04/2025

SBS On Demand partners with Euronews to extend network news offering

SBS On Demand partners with Euronews to extend network news offering 9 April, 2025 Media releases SBS is expanding its international news offering with the...

09/04/2025

SBS announces TV's hottest new couple, Tony Armstrong and Courtney Act, as Eurovision Song Contest commentary team

SBS announces TV's hottest new couple, Tony Armstrong and Courtney Act, as E...

09/04/2025

Screen Australia and ACTF Kids IP Incubator Initiative enters next phase

09 04 2025 - Media release Screen Australia and ACTF Kids IP Incubator Initiative enters next phase Kids IP Incubator recipients in Melbourne for the workshop...

07/04/2025

Olympic Gold medallist and World Time Trial Champion Grace Brown joins SBS commentary team for Spring Classics Races

Olympic Gold medallist and World Time Trial Champion Grace Brown joins SBS comme...

07/04/2025

Female focus: New season of Living Black highlights women in Federal Election year

Female focus: New season of Living Black highlights women in Federal Election ye...

07/04/2025

SBS News' Cost of Living Secrets podcast returns to tackle one of the key issues of the Federal Election campaign

SBS News' Cost of Living Secrets podcast returns to tackle one of the key is...

04/04/2025

SBS announces initiatives to provide all Australians with trusted news and information about the 2025 Federal Election

SBS announces initiatives to provide all Australians with trusted news and infor...

01/04/2025

Bus Stop Films' first feature Boss Cat to begin production in June

01 04 2025 - Media release Bus Stop Films' first feature Boss Cat to begin production in June Boss Cat cast (L-R): Olivia Hargroder, Penny Downie and Juli...

31/03/2025

Ready, set, Party Time!' SBS News empowers young voters with a new political podcast

Ready, set, Party Time!' SBS News empowers young voters with a new politica...

28/03/2025

Marion Grasby's Flavours of Heart & Home is a celebration of culture and family

Marion Grasby's Flavours of Heart & Home is a celebration of culture and fam...

28/03/2025

SBS delivers Federal Election news to Australians in over 60 languages

SBS delivers Federal Election news to Australians in over 60 languages 28 March, 2025 Media releases As Australia heads to the polls on 3 May, Australia...

26/03/2025

The Secret DNA of Us premieres 17 April

The Secret DNA of Us premieres 17 April 20 March, 2025 Media releases Family secrets, royal relationships and hidden histories revealed What would you disc...