By TRACEY BRIDCUTT, Adventist Record

Hacksaw Ridge — the film that tells the story of Seventh-day Adventist conscientious objector Desmond Doss — has scooped the pool at Australia’s leading film and television awards.

In addition, the film has been nominated for three “Golden Globe” awards by members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, and is believed to be a strong contender for several Academy Award nominations, the U.S.-based prize popularly known as the “Oscar.” The movie was also named “Film of the Year” by the American Film Institute.

The film won a total of nine Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) awards: five presented December 7 at The Star in Sydney, and four handed out earlier in the week. It picked up best film, best director, best lead actor, best supporting actor, best original screenplay, best editing, best sound, best production design and best cinematography.

Accepting the award for best director, Mel Gibson said he felt “really honoured and choked up”.

“I need to thank Australia for making this film,” he said. “All the way up and down the line, it’s a home-grown thing.”

Speaking from Los Angeles, Andrew Garfield, who played Doss in the film, expressed his gratitude for being awarded best actor. Garfield has also been nominated for a Screen Actors’ Guild best actor award.

“It was just a pure pleasure to make this film,” he said. “I feel very strange being given an award for something that is just pure joy for me.”

Hacksaw Ridge tells the story of Doss, the first conscientious objector in American history to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. The Adventist army medic braved bullets, grenades, and snipers while single-handedly evacuating the wounded from behind enemy lines during World War II. He is credited with saving at least 75 lives.

Adventists are being encouraged to use the movie’s publicity as an opportunity to “share the faith of Doss” with friends, families, neighbors and colleagues.

— with additional reporting by Adventist Review staff