Shy, artistic teenager Annie leaves Monterrey, Mexico, for a school exchange in Auckland, hoping to become more independent and discover who she is away from her protective mother. Instead, she finds herself sharing a room with Sabina, a rebellious and emotionally volatile host student who treats her as an inconvenience. Annie’s only source of warmth is Sabina’s charismatic girlfriend, Esther, who welcomes her, defends her and takes a genuine interest in her art and ambitions. As Annie and Esther grow closer, their friendship develops into an attraction neither can ignore, exposing the cracks in Esther and Sabina’s already troubled relationship.

When jealousy, secrecy and betrayal bring the love triangle into the open, Annie is publicly humiliated and considers abandoning the exchange. But learning the painful truth behind Sabina’s behaviour forces her to confront the difference between understanding someone’s trauma and allowing them to cause harm. Faced with the choice between returning to the safety of home or finally taking control of her own life, Annie must find the courage to admit what she wants. Romantic, funny and emotionally charged, The Exchange is an LGBTQ+ coming-of-age drama about first love, cultural displacement, family pressure and the difficult journey towards independence.

Annie: Mirene Castelltort
Sabina: Lucy Wyma
Esther: Celine Dam
Victor: Stephen Lovatt
Keenan: Xavier Garneau-Roughan
Frankie: Philippa Gouws
Ms Kopyczyn: Sarah Dawes
Lynda: Tatiana Hotere

Directed by Rob McLaughlin
Written by Ric Forster
Produced by Melanie Rowland