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R EA LI TY BI T E S The Euro-Mediterranean Documentary Market Sitges, October 11-13, 2013 www.medimed.org MEDIMED is conceived and organized by the International Association of Independent Producers of the Mediterranean c/ Girona, 20, 5 floor 08010 Barcelona Tel. +34 93 556 09 91 Fax +34 93 247 01 65 info@apimed.org / www.apimed.org facebook.com/Apimed Producers 004. People 005. Bios 006. Announcements 009. Schedule 011. Benvinguts / Welcome 014. Pitching Forum Selected Projects Speedy Pitch Projects 070. Docs Gallery Ready Made Medimed Projects Ahmed Attia Award 2013 Kathryn Bonnici’s Choice Docs Made in Turkey Selected Programs 194. Lists Programs Index by Title Companies by Countries Photo Gallery Profiles of the Commissioning Editors, Buyers & Distributors Participants C ON T EN TS people TEAM Sergi Doladé — Director Marina Bayó — General Co-ordinator Eloisa Williams — Director’s PA Victor Burgués — Delegate’s Liaison Officer Sandra del Río — One-to-one Meetings Víctor Fenés — Producer Setanta — Graphic design Roberto Rodríguez — Cover & event photographer Raül Buira — Web Master Elisenda Soriguera — Press Officer Gestart Assessors — Accounting services PROJECTS SELECTION COMMITTEE MEMBERS Khalil Benkirane — Doha Film Institute, Qatar Vesna Cudic — Head of Sales and Acquisitions, Dogwoof Global, UK Lorenzo Hendel — Kuraj Productions, Italy VII AHMED ATTIA’S AWARD FOR THE DIALOGUE OF CULTURES - JURY MEMBERS Mohamed Charbagi — Producer, Alif Productions, France Marta Figueras — Producer, Promarfi Futuro 2010, Spain Rima Mismar — Head of the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture, Lebanon Isona Passola — Producer, Massa d’Or Produccions, Spain PERSONAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS OF THE DIRECTOR Kathryn Bonnici — Java Films Aritz Cirbián — Verkami Ruth Diskin — Expert Matthias Lavaux — TousCoprod John Marshall — Pitching Moderator Isona Passola — President of APIMED Marijke Rawie — Expert Agnès Tricot — CNC WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO Mireia Azuara — Illy Montse Comabella — Moritz Maite Puentes — Bacardí Josep Llop — Freixenet Maris Lozano — Vichy Catalán Elena Rue — Catalan Films&TV Berta Rius — Aigua de Veri Neus Sala — TVC Josette Trilla David Urgell — Gin Nut bios / JURY & experts khalil benkirane LORENZO HENDEL Grants Manager at the Doha Film Institute — Doha Film Institute Kuraj Productions, Italy — Born in Florence, at the end of the (DFI) is an independent cultural organisation established to bring Qatar’s film initiatives under one banner. Through film funding, production, festivals and year-round screenings, DFI aims to build a robust and sustainable film industry in Qatar. Film Financing Grants Manager oversees the DFI’s grants unit in relation to achieving the company’s mandate to support regional and international filmmakers and the creation of sustainable film financing model in Qatar. Vesna Cudic Head of TV Sales and Acquisitions, Dogwoof Global — Vesna holds a First Class BA honours degree in Film, and an MA in Fiction Direction from the National Film and Television School of Great Britain. She is a winner of Royal Television Society Award and several film festival awards. Her experience in the field of international distribution in both, sales and acquisitions, combined with her background in filmmaking, provides her with valuable tools for identifying the demands of the international marketplace, while working closely with the filmmakers. ruth diskin Managing Director of Ruth Diskin Films — Founded in 2001, Ruth Diskin Films Ltd. specializes in the distribution of films with distinctive content produced for viewers worldwide. The company represents the finest contemporary independent Israeli filmmaking and filmmakers along with filmmakers from around the world. With over 25 years of experience in marketing and distribution in the international arena, Ruth Diskin, along with her team ensure that films reach diverse and varied audiences across the globe. 4 Seventies he moved to Perugia, where he worked in RAI local office for a documentation project on the local social reality, without losing his interest on research in television language and his activities in theatrical and videotheatrical fiction. In 1988 he moved to Rome, and kept working in RAI3 as television director. Meanwhile his work as a documentary director, led him around the world on travel. In 2005 he directed his first feature film for cinema, “Quando i bambini giocano in cielo”, completely shot in Greenland. It won several awards. Since 2007 up to June 2013 he was in charge of DOC3 (Rai Tre). He selects the documentaries to buy and produce, and together with the authors he follows all projects in their development. He took part in several international juries, such as Idfa, Hot Docs, Mipcom, Roma International Film Festival, and many others. MARIJKE RAWIE Managing Director at ExpertDocs — Marijke Rawie specializes in documentary (pitching) training & consultancy for international documentary coproduction. She has an extensive knowledge of the international documentary market, the financing possibilities and the co-production possibilities. ExpertDocs helps filmmakers, documentary companies and pitching forums to understand the international documentary coproduction world and advises them on the development and the possible financing of their documentary projects for the international market. ExpertDocs have worked for various documentary festivals and pitching forums as head tutor, script doctor, pitching coach, moderator, like IDFA, HotDocs, Sunny Side of the Doc, Ex Oriente, EBU, Istanbul Documentary Filmmakers Association, EDN, Documentary Campus Master School (Munich), Italian Doc Screenings, Artistoteles Documentary Training, DragonForum, CoPro, MiradasDoc. 5 ANNOUNCEMENTS DELEGATES REGISTRATION MEDIMED RECEPTIONS All delegates must register and pick up their Delegate Badge and bag from the Front Desk on arrival at MEDIMED venue. Your delegate badge should be worn at all times and is required for access to all MEDIMED events. Please, make sure your badge is visible at all times. MEDIMED cordially invites all participants to attend the following receptions. Don’t miss the chance to meet all delegates in a casual way while having a drink, or two. Your accreditation will be requested at the door for admittance. DOCS library MDMD TALKS Located in the hotel’s ground floor, the vidéothèque allows TV buyers, distributors, sales agents and decision makers to watch the docs of their choice. It includes a selection of 450 titles aimed at a market sales as well as a specially curated choice by Kathryn Bonnici. MDMD Talks is a series of conferences, round table discussions, workshops and meetings aimed at film and creative industry professionals who attend MEDIMED. It is organized in close collaboration with MEDIA Antena Catalunya, with a focus on reaching a wide professional audience with high quality content for crossindustry collaboration and knowledge exchange. We invite you join the Master Class given by TousCprod & Verkami on how to work on a crowdfunding strategy for your project and make sure your campaign is a big success. All producers and guests are cordially invited to attend. The presentation includes some dedicated time for Q&A. The session will be in English and there will be no translation. The Docs Gallery is open for the duration of MEDIMED (Friday to Sunday) from 10am to 7pm Opening Reception Friday, October 11 - 8:30 PM FRONT DESK SERVICES Club de Mar de Sitges Located in the hotel’s lobby, the front desk is the central contact point for all MEDIMED delegates. MEDIMED invites you to the reception held at the Sitges Sea Club in front of the venue. Hours: 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM Sponsored by: Message Service An internal message service is provided by our hostesses. Delegates may leave messages for each other at the Front Desk. It is reserved for personal messages only. It will be dismantled Sunday, October 13, at 6:00 PM and any remaining messages will be discarded. Information Services & Assistance Visit the Front Desk for help or advice about anything. Make sure you book your 20 minute meetings with MEDIMED experts & delegates with the assistance of our Front Desk team. Gin Nut Cocktail Party Open to all MEDIMED delegates and guests. Saturday, October 12 - 8:00 PM Club de Mar de Sitges NUT is an artisan gin distilled in the London Dry method that guarantees the highest quality ingredients in its production process. NUT has an alcohol content of 45% ABV. NUT is produced in the Catalan region of L’Empordà Project Presentation Transcripts (for Pitching Team Members) For the benefit of the MEDIMED Project Team Members, a member of our staff will take notes of the feedback during each presentation. The presentations transcripts are delivered at each break at the Front Desk. Don’t forget to pick them up. Sponsored by: Happymed Dinner Party For MEDIMED delegates only. Saturday, October 12 - 9:00 PM - Club de mar ONE-TO-ONE MEETINGS The 1-2-1 is a meeting service arranged by MEDIMED staff that takes place throughout the three days of the market and is available to all MEDIMED participants, as well as to all buyers and distributors. If you’ve come to MEDIMED with a selected program, you don’t want to miss the opportunity to take part in the 1-2-1 service. Our staff will facilitate a series of meetings, matching producers with appropriate participating buyers and distributors. Due to demand, times and availability may be limited. Pre-registration for 1-2-1 meetings is mandatory at the Front Desk of the venue. On site registration will not be available if all meeting times have been fully booked with advance applications. Please, check the Calipolis Hotel internet connection. 6 AHMED ATTIA AWARD FOR THE DIALOGUE OF CULTURES The four-member jury, consisting of filmmakers and industry professionals will announce their final choice, right after the dinner on Saturday. The thirteen films in competition were once pitched at MEDIMED Pitching Forum. They can all be found in the Docs Gallery section of this catalogue. Courtesy of APIMED, the winner will receive 1,000 Euros cash prize, awarded to the producer of the best documentary. DIA SUD MED A special Pitching Session for transmedia projects developed by DIA SUD MED, a project co-financed by Euromed Audiovisual III. All projects have been developed by the students of the film schools ALBA (Beirut), ESAV (Marrakech) and ISAMM (Tunis), during the last months and are ready for pitching. They all look for international producers to support their projects. Sponsored by: WI-FI saturday, October 12 - 6:30 PM Sunday, October 13 - 12:00PM at the Pitching Room. All producers are kindly invited to attend. MEDIMED EXPERTS MEDIMED is pleased to count on the professional experience of reputed documentary professionals who will be available for a restricted number of one-to-one 20 minute consultations. Meetings are to be held at the Club Room and should be booked at the Front Desk in advance. Our experts, Marijke Rawie and Ruth Diskin, will provide a professional opinion on how to pitch your selected project, an overview on the market possibilities for your company. Friday, October 11 - 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM Saturday, October 12 - 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM 7 SCHEDULE Friday 11 Saturday 12 Sunday 13 9:00am — 6:00pm 9:00am — 12:00am 10:00am — 1:00pm On site Registrations On site Late Registrations Private Meetings 1-2-1 Frontdesk Frontdesk Sert Room 9:15am — 2:00pm 9:00am — 1:30pm 10:00am — 5:00pm Private Meetings 1-2-1 Private Meetings 1-2-1 Buyer’s Screenings Sert Room Distributors & Buyers Sert Room Mestral Room Buyer’s Screenings 10:00am — 1:30pm “Distributing Your Doc” Mestral Room PITCHING SESSION 2 by Kathryn Bonnici (Java Films) Pitching Room 10:00am — 7:00pm 11:00pm — 12:00pm Pitching Room 12:30am — 2:00pm WORKSHOP 10:00am — 7:00pm 12:00pm — 1:30pm “Pitching Perfect” by Marijke Rawie & John Marshall Pitching Room Pitching producers ONLY Buyer’s Screenings PRESENTATION Dia Sud Med Mestral Room Pitching Room 1:30pm — 3:30pm LUNCH 4:00pm Welcome 3:30pm — 6:15pm Pitching Room PITCHING SESSION 3 See you next year! Pitching Room 4:15pm — 5:45pm PITCHING SESSION 1 ILLY coffee break Pitching Room 6:30pm — 8:00pm 5:45pm — 6:00pm ILLY coffee break PRESENTATION “TousCoprod vs Verkami” Pitching Room 6:00pm — 7:20pm PITCHING SESSION 1 Pitching Room 8:00pm — 8:45pm Fresh Cocktail Sponsored by: Gin Nut 7:30pm — 8:30pm Private Meetings 1-2-1 9:00pm Producers & CE Pitching Room Dinner party HAPPYMED! Sponsored by: Verkami 8:30pm Opening Cocktail Party VII Ahmed Attia’s Award Sponsored by: Bacardí 9 benvinguts / welcome Sergi Doladé Director of MEDIMED Welcome to MEDIMED’13, the annual meeting place for documentary makers who are attentive to the trends set by European and Southern Mediterranean documentary films and projects. Our 3-day flagship event has been enhanced this year, and the Pitching Forum will once again raise thousands of euros in international co-financing for independent producers and their market partners. In this edition 187 projects from 26 countries, were reviewed to select these final 26. Together they cover various conflicts, amazing characters and incredible realities. We have selected 450 fabulous films that are available at the Docs Library for private viewing with a special look at the newest Turkish documentary production. Registration for the 2013 Forum is now closed, but the deal-making doesn’t stop here. You can still take advantage of the one-to-one meetings, where we organize more than 600 individual meetings between filmmakers and commissioning editors. Additionally, the Front Desk staff will answer your questions about doing business at MEDIMED. This year we are delighted to count on the expertise of Marijke Rawie and Ruth Diskin, who will be available for some individual meetings with the producers. We are also excited to learn more about the results of the second module of multimedia projects developed by the Dia Sud Med Programme, which deals with training of young future professionals, and of course you are all invited to attend the master class on crowdfunding strategies for indie docs hosted by TousCoprod & Verkami. I want to address my sincere gratitude to all the institutional and private sponsors, for making it all possible, and my personal thanks to Vesna Cudic, Khalil Benkirane and Lorenzo Hendel, members of the project selection committee for involving themselves to an exciting and difficult task with excellent criteria, wisdom and great competence. Big thanks to the best MEDIMED core team: Marina Bayó, Eloisa Williams, Victor Burgués and Víctor Fenés, who’ve made the preparations with efficiency and much care. Our staff is happy to provide you with a host of delegate services including Registration, Guest Guidance and the Docs Library. They will patiently help make the three days run smoothly for all. Our very best for a productive time to all of you! 11 Isona Passola Helena Moreno President of APIMED Head of MEDIA Antennae Catalonia Note that when we speak about the Mediterranean today we use economics’ criteria, emerging markets, Mediterranean corridor, and that is not bad for itself, the improvement of economic relations is in itself a good relationship, but we also use terms of religious conflict and, unfortunately, very unfortunately, war. Why don’t we ever talk about it in cultural terms, if only as the birthplace of the great cultures, and of the “welfare society” which were the shores of our sea back in the ancient times? At Medimed, for fourteen years now, and every year we do talk about clashing religions, human conflicts and war, because we assume that the Mediterranean that we love is a compendium of all that, to share it with empathy, generosity, compassion, - which comes from the Greek word Pathos - sharing the pain, through documentaries, a mix of conflict and love, gets us closer to the original idea of hedonism, human relationships and above all a common culture, that we do not want to renounce to. Jordi Sellas Miquel Garcia General Manager for Creation and Cultural Industries Head of Documentaries and New Formats, Televisió de Catalunya MEDIMED, TRADITION AND INNOVATION OF CATALAN DOCUMENTARY To open the cinematographic year with the selection of “Google and the World Brain” at Sundance is a good proof of the level and the international projection of Catalan documentary. This genre is one of the areas where innovation is letting in new languages that are transforming the classical conception of media. This is the case of interactive documentary and the use of animation techniques to narrate the truth, often very close to authorial creation. Indeed, doc fiction, creative documentary or just informative, is a modality where Catalan professionals have been able to show an exceptional mastery. Recent milestones are the Oscar nomination in 2004 for “Balseros” up to the premiere of “The Plague” at the Berlin Film Festival 2013, to names of Catalan cinema documentary filmmakers like Joaquim Jordà, José Luis Guerin, Lala Gomà and Pere Portabella. No wonder then that Catalonia has become an exceptional quarry of outstanding new professionals, also largely due to the efforts and commitment of the Catalan universities. We speak of generations of documentary filmmakers specializing in documentary with an international recognition of their own, such as Isaki Lacuesta, Mercedes Alvarez, Carla Subirana, Neus Ballús, Alba Sotorra, among others. Their work is also an example of the sort of unrest of this genre which has managed to adapt itself to the new technologies, the treatment of new contents or the use of aesthetic alternatives to reach new audiences and distribution channels. International meetings such as MEDIMED, the Euro-Mediterranean Documentary Market, give visibility and very much position this creative modality. At the Catalan Ministry of Culture we want, once again, to contribute to its success by offering all the support required at present and in the future. MEDIMED lets us discover how forms and contents look for audiences that are more and more demanding, convinced that survival happens, among other ways, by getting plural scenarios, diverse and international, where creation, industry and market sum up complicities and mutual interests. 12 Once again we are pleased to welcome you to MEDIMED. The market is already an established landmark in the calendar. In uncertain times we should give a special value to the continuity of the actions but also to the capacity of consolidating the events. Year after year, MEDIMED knows how to gather the Mediterranean family in a milestone that nobody wants to miss is just another example of the value of the contents of MEDIMED and the importance of this meeting point and the impact of this marketplace. It is clear that in times of crisis is more difficult to get financing for projects. Co-production and international distribution are not only an option but a necessity. The stories are taken care for from the very first moment of development to ensure a journey that will help them reach as many audiences as possible. Within the DNA of MEDIA there is the desire to connect industry, projects and European professionals with the rest of the World. MEDIMED offers the guarantee of a common space where we can understand each other while doing business and start relationships. In this sense, the MEDIA family highly values the results of MEDIMED and we contemplate with delight that many of the projects pitched at MEDIMED become a reality right after their participation at the market. MEDIMED has established itself as a market involving top professionals and offers a rigorous selection of projects that is interesting for the delegates. Congratulations to the MEDIMED team for a job well done and we wish you a fantastic market. We are going through one of the most serious economic crises in recent history. It is one that affects politics, the legitimacy of states, education, the family and life values in general. But perhaps the most serious crisis we’re now facing is the crisis of thought. A dictated line of thought is giving way to the greater danger of the absence of thought. Today we have more access than ever to information on a global scale, but we often lack information on the causes of problems and the larger context in which events unfold. Within this larger picture the documentary film genre can serve as an extraordinarily efficient tool to offset the dumbing down of news playing into the spectacular and the gratuitously emotional. Documentaries can effect social change if they are able to alter people’s perceptions, to educate and to heighten awareness on issues of inequality and social justice. They can also connect on an emotional level through human-interest stories touching on universal values with which audiences can identify and empathize. A documentary film is a public service and Televisió de Catalunya firmly supports its role as such. This is clearly evidenced in its first-rate prime time documentary program “Sense Ficció;” in Canal 33’s role as a second channel with a special focus on the documentary genre; in co-production agreements made with channels and producers from around the world; in the support provided by the Catalan audiovisual industry; and in agreements with universities and festivals. All of the Mediterranean countries are facing difficult challenges on a political, economic and social scale. These circumstances offer important opportunities for telling documentary stories and finding effective ways of making those stories heard. Medimed is a good means of consolidating this industry in order to promote the coproduction and distribution of documentary works. The fact that this film market will, once again, be held in Catalonia is welcome news and we are pleased to continue participating in, and contributing to, this event. 13 SELECTED PROJECTS 016. 016. 018. 020. 022. 024. 026. 028. 030. 032. 034. 036. 038. 040. 042. Selected Projects A Family Affair Blend Egytp’s Modern Pharaos Greece, the Historical Reasons of Bankruptcy I’m not I Hear Music If You’re Lucky, You Won’t Need Us Mali Blues Monumentum New Hands Popenguine Shaping Dancers! Standing Man Stories of Wolves and Men 044. 046. 048. 050. 052. 054. 056. 058. 060. 062. 064. 066. Tadmor Teaching Ignorance The Invisible City The Jazira The Lost Warriors The Rise of the Gulf - Beyond Black Gold The Story of Arab Feminism Voices for the Peace Waiting for Another Beginning Walls Yorgos Zero Tolerance 068. Speedy Pitch Projects pitch i ng f or um SELECTED PROJECTS pitching forum With the support of: FILM STRUCTURE A FAMILY AFFAIR Mia Oikogeneiaki Ypothesi Co-production / pre-sales largely in Art slots, in Europe, and across the Mediterranean. The Xylouris Family is Greece’s most famous musical clan. The film follows three generations of the family, which uphold the vibrant tradition of Cretan music, to discover the electrifying power of their music and the ties that bring the family together and apart. Crew GREECE Producers — Yuri Averof & Rea Apostolides Director — Angeliki Aristomenopoulou Greek & English | 26, 52, 70’ | HD | Stereo | Arts, music, culture Looking for Track record of producer 2013: “Kismet” Co-produced by Al Jazeera, ARTE, SVT, in association with YLE, RTS, BTV, Channel 8 Israel, CYBC, Croatian and Bulgarian Film Funds. Budget Confirmed Financing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (63.28 %) 109,042 € Financing Sought . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (36.72 %) 63,300 € Total Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172,342 € Financing Sources Media Programme of the EU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26,070 € Kickstarter (crowdfunding) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11,559 € Anemon Productions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26,413 € ABC Australia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45,000 € 2013: “Little Land” Co-produced with ARTE, ERT. Also broadcast on DR. Production Company Pitcher Rea Apostolides — Producer 16 Anemon Productions 5 Stisishorou Street — 10674 Athens (Greece) Tel. +302107211073 — rea@anemon.gr — www.anemon.gr The Xylouris Family is Greece’s most famous musical clan. The film follows three generations of musicians who uphold the vibrant tradition of Cretan music, to discover the electrifying power of their music and the sacred ties that hold the family together. This year, the family is at a crossroads: fifty-year old George must perform non-stop in order to pay back a loan on his home and cover his children’s tuition in Melbourne, while his Australian wife and manager, Shelagh, struggles to keep the family together. Their three children have found new freedom abroad, but they also struggle to uphold and evolve the music of their family, while finding their own voice. The film follows the changing lives of three generations of the Xylouris family, across the period of two years. It captures how music is passed on from father to son to daughter, exploring the unifying and encumbering power of family and the inheritance of a unique art, rooted to the land. Part I The family is at a turning point. Shelagh, George’s Australian wife, is unhappy on the Greek island of Crete. She spends her time knitting and pacing an Olympic size swimming pool in Herakleion, a sprawling cement city in the center of the island. She has not gotten used to the confines of Cretan traditional society and does not get on with her parents in law. This year, she sees less and less of her husband, who is constantly away touring or performing at weddings. The family needs to repay a loan on their home and their children’s tuition and George is being paid less and less money for his performances, due to the financial crisis. Their sons Nick and Antonis are away in Australia studying, but Nick often travels to Europe to perform with his father. After a performance in Brussels, Nick is accosted by an elderly Belgian lady, who admires the respect he pays to his father. For her, the Xylouris’ are an example of family that no longer exists in her country. Back at home, Shelagh decides that her sixteen year old daughter, Apollonia, must join her elder brothers in Melbourne. While George tours across Europe, mother and daughter prepare for departure. Part II Nick and Antonis return to Herakleion for Christmas. The brothers spend time with Apollonia, while their father plays at local feasts across the island. In late January, Shelagh and her daughter arrive in Melbourne. George and his father Psarantonis arrive in Melbourne two months later, to embark on a grueling concert tour across Australia. Psarantonis, a master of the Cretan lyra, a bewitching bowed string instrument of medieval origins, performs with his son George on lute and Dirty Three drummer Jim White, and the three grandchildren for the first time. Part III The entire family travels to Adelaide to perform at Womadelaide. It is the first time the three children stand on stage with their grandfather, and they are terrified. The family also reunites with their old friend Nick Cage, who is a fervent admirer of Psarantonis. At the end of the concert tour, George and Shelagh return to Crete. Shelagh is alone without her children for the first time, as George leaves to perform in France and Spain. In the summer, the children arrive to perform with their father at local Cretan weddings and village feasts. The film ends with the feast of the Xylouris clan, on the island’s highest mountain, Mt. Psiloriti, near Anogia. It is one of the few times that the family is together. 17 SELECTED PROJECTS pitching forum Synopsis BLEND Looking for Co-producers and broadcasters. Crew Producers — Ben-Moshe & Racheli Rusinek Directors — Eyal Ben-Moshe & Racheli Rusinek Winemakers in the West Bank appropriate the land through the roots of their vines. The wine they produce is ideologically tainted. But as we follow three different stories, we discover that these people are not only here for reasons of principal, but have a need to escape their past lives. ISRAEL Hebrew | 52’ | DV CAM | Dolby | Human rights Track record of producer Budget 2004: “The Confirmed Financing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (28.99 %) 40,694 € Financing Sought . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (71.01 %) 99,667 € Total Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140,361 € Escape Artists” Jerusalem International Film Festival, Palermo Film Festival Chaplin Documentary Film Festival, Ljubljana. Financing Sources Blend tells the story of the winemakers in the West Bank who try to appropriate the land through the vine roots and produce ideologically-tainted wine. As it unveils, it appears that the protagonist’s story is a less one of ideology, and more of attempts to escape past lives. Winemakers in the West Bank appropriate the land through the roots of their vines. The wine they produce is ideologically tainted. But as we follow three different stories, we discover that these people are not only here for reasons of principal, but have a need to escape their past lives. In a remote outpost, five kilometers from Nablus, Shmuel (60+), a retired weapons expert, surveys his newly built winery. He wants to create a perfect BLEND, the same wine his Biblical forefathers made for the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. On his way to his caravan Shmuel passes through his vineyards where his grapes grow. Inside the creaking caravan, he makes a call, but there is no answer. Over the past eleven years, he has waited for his wife to join him, but she refuses to live on occupied land. It is difficult for him to be alone and wants to propose they get back together. South of there, at ‘Rechelim’ Settlement, Vered (36) looks in the mirror and fixes her religious headdress. Her beautiful face is covered with blemishes. The dust and sand are unkind to her Dutch skin. In her living room stands an old grandfather clock. Vered, who is Dutch, had a Nazi grandfather who stole it from a Jewish home. It was her other grandfather, a Jewish Holocaust survivor, who taught her that it is always good to have a foreign passport, just in case. Vered goes to greet guests for wine-tasting in an old military barrack converted into their winery – Tura Winery. Vered is terrified living in this area, but her husband Erez (37), who grows most of the Jewish vine crops in the West Bank, will never give up on his dream of settling on the hill, nor will he ever give up on the social status involved. Evangelist Christians who come to help him harvest the grapes consider him a saint. Only a stone’s throw away from the Palestinian city of Nablus, on Mount Blessing, Nir (40) and Mack (29) prepare the ground for the vines. After years of drugs and surfing in Australia, Nir was enlightened and embraced Orthodox Judaism and went up on the mountain. He is about to make his dream come true and be blessed by the mountain. Vered, Erez, Nir and Shmuel are not connoisseurs, nor are they farmers by vocation. They have chosen to produce wine simply because planting grapes is the easiest way to occupy Palestinians’ lands. Through the process of wine production in the West Bank the film documents this unusual blend of people trying to strike roots – a mixture of wine and occupation, creeds and ideologies, blindness and reality, the political and private. The New Foundation for TV and Cinema, Israel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40,694 € Production Company Pitcher Eyal Ben-Moshe — Producer & Director 18 2Team Productions PO Box 7153 — 91071 Jerusalem (Israel) — Tel. 972 2 672 4256 ruth@ruthfilms.com — www.ruthfilms.com 19 SELECTED PROJECTS 12 pitching forum Story line EGYPT’S MODERN PHARAOHS Looking for Financial support in Euroep, America, Asia & Africa. An autopsy of Egypt’s contemporary history including its role on the international stage. Political, military and religious key characters, and personalities from the civil society, will provide an in-depth understanding of how revolution became inevitable. Crew Producer — Benoît Juster Director — Jihan El-Tahri Script — Jihan El-Tahri france Arabic & English | 3x52’ | HD | Stereo | 16/9 | History Budget Track record of producer 2009: “Behind the Rainbow” Awards from FESPACO, Real Life. 2007: “Cuba, an African Odyssey”. Awards from PAFF, FICLUANDA, FIFAI, Vue d’Afrique en Montreal. 2005: “The House of Saud”, Award from BANIFF in Canada; nomination for the Emmy Awards. Confirmed Financing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (41 %) 517,000 € Financing Sought . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (59 %) 758,169 € Total Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,275,169 € Financing Sources ARTE France . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 450,000 € ARTE Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25,000 € Doha Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20,000 € DR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,000 € VPRO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,000 € ”Egypt’s Modern Pharaohs” is a 2x 75 minute documentary that will unravel the political and social history of Egypt from the day demonstrators burnt down Cairo thus triggering the end of centuries of colonial rule until the day the people rose and marched to Tahrir square demanding the end of President Hosni Mubarak regime. Four major themes will constitute the pillars upon which the documentary is built: The Army, The Moslem Brotherhood, International relations and the role of Civil Society in Egypt. These themes will be interweaved in a way to allow us to follow them through from 1952 until 2011. In the process we will unravel the specific style and character of each President and the manner with which he has dealt with the main themes. “Egypt’s Modern Pharaohs” will explore themes like how the Moslem Brotherhood developed and how their role has evolved from the 1950’s until today. How centuries of Christian/Moslem harmony was thwarted and its contribution to religious strife in the country. Other themes like how Egypt was caught in the cold war and the implications of going from a pro-Soviet Socialist bastion to a Capitalist ally of the USA. “Egypt’s Modern Pharaohs” also traces how during 60 years of autocratic rule, every President since the 1950’s has used external threats, religious strife and the danger of militant Islam to maintain martial laws that have restrict all freedoms. The series will trace that process, or the mechanism that has turned our liberators into our oppressors. The documentary will use first hand accounts to provide an intimate understanding of how the promises and principles of the 1952 revolution were thwarted and those same principles denounced at Tahrir Square in 2011. The Timeline of the documentary will use specific events, mostly internationally known, to illustrate and concretize the four major themes. Interspersed through these accounts will be the personal stories of ordinary Egyptians caught in the clutch of growing oppression leading to the inevitability of a people’s revolution. The renowned Egyptian cinema and its feature films that date back to the 1930’s will provide us with an additional tool to visually and atmospherically tell this story. We will use Egyptian feature films to narrate and illustrate some of the film’s sequences. This additional layer of visual narration will add the flavor and atmosphere of the specific eras and thus visual demonstrate the evolution in both the narrative and the content of the sequencesa. Production Company Pitchers Laurence Uebersfeld — Producer Jihan El-Tahri — Director & Script 20 big sister 4, rue Lacepede — 75005 Paris (France) — Tel. +33 1 4331 98 70 jihan_tahari@hotmail.com — http://jihaneltahari.com/ 21 SELECTED PROJECTS With the support of: pitching forum NOTE OF INTENTION Greece, the historical reasons of bankruptcy La Grèce ou les raisons historiques d’une faillite How could such a little country as Greece – a sick country, full of lazy people – manage to contaminate the whole rest of Europe? Why is it that the media frenzy that followed the Euro Zone’s debt crisis sealed the fate of Europe in the hands of the Greeks? Today, while the Greek ‘prescription’ is applied to the rest of Europe and the collective emotional trauma has largely been overcome, it is increasingly fascinating to analyse the current phenomena in the light of history and understand how one of the European Country Member has managed to reach a state bankruptcy of such magnitude. Looking for GREECE Coproductions with international broadcasters. Greek | 2 x 52’ | HD CAM | 16/9 | History Budget Producer — Olga Abazoglou Director — Angelos Abazoglou Confirmed Financing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (41.8 %) 365,500 € Financing Sought . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (58.2 %) 508,500 € Total Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 874,000 € Track record of producer Financing Sources 2012: “Mustafa’s ARTE France . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300,000 € Media Development/Cyclope Productions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35,000 € Les Films du Tambour de Soie/Procirep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30,500 € Crew Sweet Dreams” Selected at Berlinale 2012; TIFF San Francisco, California; SEEfest L.A. The proposed two one hour documentaries wish to highlight the particularities of the Modern Greek nation, in an attempt to explain why Greece is now immersed in such a devastating crisis. The first film will present ‘The Years of Dictatorship’ (1945-1975) while the second will deal with ‘The Years of Democracy’ (1975 till today). By repositioning the recent events within a historical context, the documentaries explore the mechanisms involved between the Second World War and the present that led the country to her current debt crisis. The films show on what bases the country was rebuilt after World War II: how it developed, what collaborations it agreed on, what agreements were passed with the other countries and how the State imposed a form of complicity upon the entire population. Throughout history, the Modern Greek state has closely cooperated with the major ‘protecting powers’: the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, till now with the European Community as a whole. Its size, its geo-strategic and geopolitical positioning leaves the country no option. To such degree that after the WW2, Greece formed an elite keen to work with its ‘protectors’ to seize power and ultimately, collaboration. For the Greek State has been synonymous with failure and injustice. It is a State whose relationship with its citizens is a far cry from the rule of civil agreement; where everyone engages with cronyism and clientelism as they believe it is the only way out. On a daily basis, this complicity has shaped the mindset of the entire population. We will examine the political storytelling that the various governments – whether dictatorial or democratic – fed the population with to justify their policies and legitimise their political decisions. Stories that have shaped the people and their society, that created traditions and values embraced by all, both rural and urban areas alike. Political narratives that the Greek political and economic elites have used and disseminated throughout. Our journey through the events that have marked the history of Modern Greece during the last 65 years – far from the hotchpotch of ideas and the inaccuracies – will allow us to understand why within the current melting pot of a Europe in search of itself, Greece is in such a state of political and economic disarray. Production Company Pitchers Olga Abazoglou — Producer Alexandre Cornu — Producer 22 cyclope productions Evzonon 9 — 11521 Athens (Greece) — Tel. +30 210725812 cyclope@acci.gr — www.cyclopsproductions.com 23 SELECTED PROJECTS pitching forum Oren is a teenager who was born in Guatemala, grew up in an adoptive family in Jerusalem and diagnosed as a child as suffering from Asperger’s Syndrome. Oren sets out on a crosscontinental, cross-cultural journey, at the end of which he meets his biological parents, learns how easy it is to hug and feels confident more than ever. I’M not Looking for 75,000 Euro co-production, pre-buy for available territories. Crew Ani Lo Oren was adopted in Guatemala. Aged six, he was diagnosed with Asperger’s and has since been on psychiatric medication. Following suicide attempts and involuntary hospitalization, Oren was finally sent to a boarding school. Here, he discovers himself anew, and sweeps hisfamily off on a moving journey to his birthplace. Producers & Directors — Tomer Heymann & Barak Heymann Camera — Itai Raziel israel Track record of producers Budget 2013: “Families” (24 Confirmed Financing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (59.4 %) 110,000 € Financing Sought . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (40.6 %) 75,473 € Total Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185,473 € episodes documentary series). 2013: “Before the Revolution”. Presented MEDIMED’13. 2011: “The Queen Has No Crown”. ‘Official Best of Fest’ Award at Best of Fest 2012 (USA). Hebrew & Spanish | 52’ & 70’ | HD | Stereo | Human interest Financing Sources Channel 8 Israel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60,000 € ARTE France . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25,000 € RAI 3 (pending) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20,000 € New Israeli Film for Cinema & TV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,000 € 2010: “I Shot my Love”. Co-produced with WDR/ARTE. Production Company Pitcher Barak Heymann — Producer & Director 24 HEYMANN BROTHERS FILMS 2 Barzilat st. — 65113 Tel Aviv (Israel) — Tel. +972 3 5602701 barak@heymannfilms.com — www.heymannfilms.com Synopsis Oren is a 19 year old boy who grew up in Jerusalem, surrounded by a stable and loving family. But Oren’s life is in no way simple. It is not easy to cope with a syndrome called Asperger’s,(part of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), combined with a borderline personality disorder. All this is further complicated when Oren gets ready to open his adoption file and perhaps to meet in Guatemala his biological parents, who gave him up as a baby. Oren’s adolescence is full of hardship and anger. He’s angry at Dvora and Ehud, his loving and despairing parents. He is angry at his sister Michal, who is also an adopted child from Guatemala with problems of her own. But he is mainly angry at himself – for going up a bridge and threatening to kill himself, for trying to grab a weapon from a police officer, for being sent to a rehabilitation home as a result; and for possibly messing up his own life, which already has limited opportunities. Oren is aware of his condition and can clearly describe it what it’s like. This is what makes his dealing with it so complex. He struggles to find his place in a world divided into ‘normal’ and ‘abnormal’ people’, not belonging to either group. Oren feels it is more accurate to define him as ‘a happy and complex person’; but he doesn’t really know what he is, rather what he is not. Oren’s ambivalent personality possesses so much charisma, intelligence and humor, to the point where you can’t help but wonder is his “difference’ really a psychological disorder? Does he really need such strong medication? Or perhaps it is just society’s need to tag anything different and try to “fix” it? Oren’s daily routine is broken by his cross-cultural journey to Guatemala. Accompanied by his parents and sister and equipped with a camcorder, Oren arrives to his birthplace, not speaking the native language. Looking around, he cannot help but imagine what his life would have been like if he hadn’t been sent for adoption. What kind of person would he have become in a society that doesn’t brand him an Asperger sufferer? In the following days, Oren’s emotional barriers come down. He hugs, touches people, and expresses his feelings, which is no trivial matter for Oren. He gets to know his mother and siblings better; he falls in love with his niece and learns how easy it is to touch. At the end of Oren’s journey, he feels that he belongs more than ever – both to the family he has only just met and to the old family he grew up in. The film “I’m not” is a personal coming-of-age story of a very special, lovable boy. It is also a story about society and its attitude to “the other”. Above all, it’s a story about how this delicate link between nature, family, society and culture - shapes us into who we are. 25 SELECTED PROJECTS TV broadcasting (Europe), financing and support (Europe). Crew Producer — Marc Guidoni Director — Giulia Fratia france Point of view Turkish | 52’ | DV CAM | Stereo | 16/9 | Human interest 2011: “Roma Fantastica”, 60’, by Luigi Cozzi, for Canal+ Group, France. Budget 2007: “Comoedia, a rebirth”, 60’, by Eric Guirado, for Canal+ Group, France. Confirmed Financing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (44 %) 88,000 € Financing Sought . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (66 %) 112,000 € Total Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200,000 € Financing Sources Al Jazeera English. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40,000 € Rhône-Alpes Regional Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28,000 € France 3 Via Stella . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20,000 € Production Company Pitcher Marc Guidoni — Producer 26 SYNOPSIS “I Hear Music” unveils Istanbul’s struggle to preserve its cultural vibrancy as it hurtles towards modernity. Part lyrical, part social advocacy, the film is a character driven story following the daily lives of Halit, Sahin and Yasimina who are all street vendors in Istanbul. Over the four seasons we experience the evolution of the city and of their lives. Track record of producers 2008: “Warsaw, the fortress forest”, 60’, by Jean-François Robin, for Canal+ Group, France. Street vendors and their chants are part of Istanbul’s DNA: they are not only providing goods, but also social and human glue. Should they disappear because of the fast transformation of the City, it’s a whole harmony that could collapse. I HEAR MUSIC is an intimate portrait of the cultural shift in Istanbul from traditional to modern through the stories of three street vendors whose lyrical sales chants have suddenly become illegal. I Hear Music is a character driven story about resilience in a world where change can imply loosing everything if you’re not on the right side of the track. Over the four seasons, we follow the daily lives of HALIT, who sells stuffed mussels, SAHIN, a milkman and YASIMINA, who sells bridal trousseaux in the streets of Istanbul. In the face of the city’s rapid modernization, we witness their struggle and their strong survival instincts as it becomes more and more difficult for them to sell their goods on the streets. Urban regeneration plans for many small downtown neighborhoods have been announced, and HALIT has already received an eviction notice. He lives in a small house on prime real estate and within a few years, the skyline will be full of new high-risers and office towers. Until now, the street vendors have lived in small bustling quarters where their familiar voices announce what is being sold and by whom. Every day, HALIT chants “Midye dolma, midyeci geldi!” (Stuffed mussels, the mussel man has come!). SAHIN and YASIMINA also chant for their customers with their own unique and musical tones. They stand out like solo singers from the urban cacophony that surrounds them. But when a new law makes these songs a disturbance to the public peace, the street vendors’ very livelihoods are suddenly at risk. They are loosing their voices and they are fighting not to loose their homes, as their districts are all slated for urban regeneration. The city is modernizing rapidly, and the street vendors’ songs are an ode to the old ways and an inspirational anthem of perseverance. I HEAR MUSIC Looking for pitching forum Fondivina/Faut Voir 9, Allee de la Sante — 69005 Lyon (France) — Tel. +33 6 88 24 92 51 marc.guidoni@fondivina.com — www.fondivina.com I Hear Music raises the question of what happens to the people who live on the wrong side of the tracks in the big cities of our world that are getting bigger almost overnight. How are we going to manage such big agglomerations of people in the future? Whom are we building these big cities for? Through their work, the street vendors crisscross Istanbul every day; on their routes they can see houses being torn down from one day to the next and new buildings rising up in a matter of months. They witness the gentrification happening all over the city. They eP-I Hear Musicxperience it first hand when their own neighborhoods are affected. Their houses and their jobs are swept away as they no longer fit in the modern style of living they are the best placed to tell this story. They will voice their concerns and their hopes through our film. Modernity and change are always thought to be for the better. I Hear Music stops to think about the social and cultural cost we need to pay for it. 27 SELECTED PROJECTS pitching forum Characters and background If you’re lucky, you won’t need us Looking for Financing and support from Holland, Mediterranean area, worldwide. Crew Producer — Margus Õunapuu Director — Jaak Kilmi They are not sailors. They get paid for helping the ships with their crew and cargo safely past the West African pirate coast into peaceful waters. They carry weapons, because it’s their job. They are just one part of a large international piracy business. Big money moves around on both sides of the “front line”. New Nigerian pirates and business around. Estonia Track record of producers Best graduate film in Fairleigh Dickinson University 2013. Estonian, English & Dutch | 60’ & 8’ | HD CAM | Stereo | Current affairs 2013: “Drought”. 2011: “El Medico – The Cubaton Story”. Best Documentary at New York International Latino Film Festival 2012. 2011: “Kosmos 68’”. Festivals in Kaunas, Kinolitopys Kiev, Istanbul. Budget Confirmed Financing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (16.78 %) 39,100 € Financing Sought . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (83,22 %) 194,000 € Total Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233,100 € Financing Sources Estonian Film Institute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,500 € Cultural Endowment of Estonia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,000 € ETV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,600 € Film Tower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25,000 € Production Company Pitcher Margus Õunapuu — Producer 28 Film Tower Kaera 16-10 — 10318 Tallinn (Estonia) — Tel. +3725651654 margus@filmtower.ee — www.filmtower.com They are not sailors. They get paid for helping the ships with their crew and cargo safely past the West African pirate coast into peaceful waters. They carry weapons, because it’s their job. They are just one part of a large international piracy business. Big money moves around on both sides of the “front line”. Raivo is 38 years old. He has the background of a professional military career – services in Afghanistan, Iraq, and military intelligence. A few years ago he was hired to guard ships working at crisis regions in Panama, Singapore and the Gulf of Aden at the coast of Somalia. The risks were great, but so was the money. At first he served on vessels owned by Belgian company Jan de Nul. Since then, Raivo has good connections with Belgian and Dutch shipping companies. Raivo spent two years, with small breaks, in international waters near the coast of Somalia, employed by an East European security operator J.R., placing together defence teams for different cargo ships, tankers or patrol boats. “I learned that with youthful bravery you couldn’t do anything in this business. Here it was all about experience and nerves of steel”. There are not many possibilities for ships to pass safely probably the world’s most dangerous waters from the Suez Canal to the Indian Ocean – to travel in convoy of warships, to order a patrol team from a private company or to ask God Almighty for protection. The first two services are not cheap. But in case of bad luck, the third possibility may be even more expensive. Raivo’s task was to put together and manage a team. Usually with very short notice period. The pirate-protection teams, which Raivo put together, usually included 4-6 men. Usually ship companies don’t bear to order larger teams – the day fees of pirate patrol are not at all small and the number of days is large. This is how the system worked - Raivo put together a team in Estonia, then he flew to Malta, where he selected armament, after that he flew to Oman, where he met his team. From there they were taken with the armament to the ship they were about to secure. Raivo’s second task was to create a defence plan for the ship and to advise the captain – in reality it meant building shooting bases, bulletproof barriers and citadels on ships. Raivo developed an effective method to protect large ships with small armed group. This means reconstructions on ship’s deck, establishing strict discipline on board, zero tolerance for alcohol, obedience to all his commands and requirements from everybody on board and complete concentration and focus. Four-member armed guard team has to protect up to 300-meter and longer tankers from any attack by pirates. This is done in two shifts. Every shift lasts exactly eight hours. Then they sleep and go back on duty. Two men on deck, eyes on horizon during days, staring into darkness at nights. Raivo has given orders to turn off all lights after dark and move on full speed ahead. Tankers or big cargo ships protected by his team race through the night like ghost ships. Raivo looks constantly at the radar and listens to the radio. But the radars don’t record small plastic boats and in the shade of night they may sneak quietly next to big ships and send pirates with machine guns on board. 29 SELECTED PROJECTS pitching forum A Film about the unifying Power of Music MALI BLUES Looking for Financing and co-production partners. Crew Producers — Kerstin Meyer-Beetz & Christian Beetz Director — Lutz Gregor Script — Lutz Gregor Following Fatoumata Diawara, the young shooting star of global pop, MALI BLUES is a musical road movie discovering Mali’s rich musical culture, home of Blues and Jazz. We meet various committed musicians, threatened by the Sharia, who are fighting for peace and their freedom to express themselves through their music. germany English & French | 90’ | HD | Dolby | 16/9 | Music, Culture, Human Rights Track record of producer Budget 2013: “Open Confirmed Financing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (25 %) 85,000 € Financing Sought . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (75 %) 255,000 € Total Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340,000 € Heart”. Academy Award Nominee Best Documentary Short 2013; Best Documentary Short at Boulder IFF. Financing Sources 2012: “Shakleton Captain”. Best Script 2012 at Torelló Mountain FF. ARTE / ZDF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85,000 € VPRO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,000 € 2010: “My heart of Darkness”, Best Documentary at FIC Luanda IFF; IDFA, Brighton Doc Festival. “This land is for the sons and daughters of Mali, not for Al Qaeda or any militants. This land is for peace and beauty, rich culture and tolerance.” Vieux Farka Touré MALI BLUES is a musical road movie illustrating Mali’s rich musical culture. Alongside Fatoumata Diawara - the young shooting star of the global pop scene - we travel through breath-taking landscapes and discover Mali’s agitated heart from Bamako in the South-West to the “Festival au Desert“ in northern Timbuktu. Fatoumata Diawara symbolizes a young generation of African women: energetic, strong-minded, confident and politically engaged. She is dedicated to unify all artists spread throughout Mali who feel threatened by sharia and want to defend their right to music as a human right against religious militants. Her idea is to arrange a “Mali All Stars Orchestra” which would play a concert at „Festival au Desert“ in Timbuktu. They would unify their voices and reconquer Mali‘s North, ideologically and musically. Some say, an “African spring” is approaching. The idea is not farfetched: Many other famous musicians such as Salif Keitá, Oumou Sangaré, Rokia Traoré, Bassekou Koyaté, Amkoullel or the young Tuaregband Tamikrest fear they will not be able to practice their passion of music in crisis-ridden Mali if Islamic fundamentalists take over. All of these artists, may they originate from different parts of the country, belong to different ethnic groups and represent different musical styles and traditions ally in one single motive: Protecting Mali’s unique musical and cultural heritage. For 10 months in 2012, Mali was under the rule of Islamic fundamentalists. The artists were silenced and - in the North - foreign music and dance were abolishes all together. Instruments were destroyed and musicians menaced. The world-renowned “Festival au Desert“ was banished. Wanting to take power over Mali, the religious extremists first went after the country’s culture. Even though the militants have retrieved, the awareness and memories remain. In 2013 Fatoumata Diawara initiated the project “Malian Musicians United” assembling nearly 40 of the country’s most prestigious musicians. In their globally noticed clip “Mali- Ko” they sing about their human right to music. They pray for peace, decry corrupt politicians, the danger of the sharia and the possibility of a tolerant Islam. International personalities such as Bono, Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder support their movement. MALI BLUES also depicts the roots of Afro-American blues and jazz. Through the songs, we get to know the artists’ hopes and dreams as well as their daily sorrows. Whoever tries to take the music from Mali rips out this country’s heart. Production Company Pitcher Christian Beetz — Producer 30 gebrueder beetz filmproduktion Heinrich-Roller-Str. 15 — 10405 Berlin — Tel. +49 3069566910 info@gebrueder-beetz.com — www.gebrueder-beetz.com 31 12 pitching forum SELECTED PROJECTS The film aims at building people’s awareness of the historical and political issues by using poetical links which will give meaning to the topic making it unique. MONUMENTUM Looking for International TV pre-sales and international sales company. Crew As new governments are put in place in the Arab world, the statues, symbols of the old regimes are toppled making room for the writing of a different page of history. Monumentum questions the public space and its appropriation by the political, the private, and the citizens, in this troubled area. Producer — Farida Fdani Director — Fadi Yeni Turk Script — Fadi Yeni Turk France Track record of producer Budget 2005: “Zarafah”, animation feature by Rémi Bezançon & Alexander Abela for Blue Eye Films. Confirmed Financing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (26.21 %) 51,540 € Financing Sought . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (73,79 %) 145,106 € Total Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196,646 € 2003: “Souli”, a feature fiction by Alexander Abela for Blue Eye Films. Financing Sources Arabic & French | 52’ & 90’ | HD | Stereo | Current Affairs AFAC Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20,000 € OIF Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20,000 € New Tree Productions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11,540 € Production Company Pitchers Farida Fdani — Producer Fadi Yeni Turk — Director 32 New Tree Productions 57, rue Clisson — 75013 Paris (France) — Tel. +33 6 23 95 40 26 farida.blue@wanadoo.fr purpose It is only when things disappear from the scope that they appear to the eye. That’s what I feel with memorials. It has been so, anyway, when I was a photo reporter on all the regional conflicts which led to the fall of so many statues in the Arab countries. Their history, from the setting of borders in the colonial times up to now, has come across religious, ethnical, social and cultural issues at the crossroads of which the idea of a nation has always been problematic. Therefore, all those in place, up to now, have been, repeatedly and continuously, staging the legitimacy they were lacking, via public memorials, to embed that legitimacy in the collective memory. Nothing was left out, re-appropriation of the myths, of the artistic and political outstanding figures, filiations traced back to the prophet and so on. In societies with patriarchal structures associating the natural family to the national family and so, relating social life to domination and dependence, Lebanon is the playground for all regional disputes; It’s a country where the notion of public space is almost if not totally absent. The identity issues which took over are those of private firms: banks, insurance companies and others of the kind. It is a country where no awareness of a common destiny seems to emerge, which makes of Lebanon a country without any Arab spring. The desire to make this film sprang from these findings. Now that history is on the move again, in societies where common welfare has never been brought to the forefront of the political agenda, how can one consider a common future? How can one consider a future which will not only be the addition of all the communitarian particularities forming the complex Lebanese pattern? How to write in the visible of our towns a history where every one could recognize himself? Is it only possible? Especially in Lebanon where the conflictual past of the country will not precisely go away? Today, the Arab world is undergoing a radical upheaval which is reshuffling the cards after over 40 years of political lock up. Most of the symbols of old powers as statues and megalomaniac memorials, are now knocked down or waiting for a decision about their future. The new balance of power is imposing on the governments in place, to reinvent a new way of telling history in the public space if they intend to have any kind of future. What will be the new political order in the region for the next coming months or years ? What new scenario will the new powers write? How will they establish their legitimacy? Whose legacy will they claim? Is a new image of the power only possible? So many questions remain to be answered! On the other hand, what will be the impact of these tectonic movements agitating Lebanon? Could new memorial carrying a different way of living in society be created? 33 SELECTED PROJECTS With the support of: TREATMENT NEW HANDS Looking for Coproduction financing, and letters of commitment from broadcasters. A man who lost his hands in an accident, gets a new pair from a corpse - the first time one of the shoulder joints is also be grafted on the patient. This is a miracle story about a man who decides to take matters into his own… hands. Crew Producers — Heather Millard & Gudberger Davidsson Directors — Thorkell Hardarson & Orn Marino Arnarson Track record of producer 2013: “Ash” Just released, screened at Thessaloniki Documentary Festival. 2011: “Balance” 2010: “The Iron Cross at Mýrar Cemetery” ICELAND English | 52 & 90 | HD | Stereo | Science, education Budget Confirmed Financing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (73.55 %) 144,491 € Financing Sought . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (26.50 %) 51,899 € Total Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196,390 € Financing Sources RUV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18,678 € Icelandic Film Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49,535 € MEDIA Development support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32,000 € DR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,000 € Iceland tax rebate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39,278 € Production Company Pitcher Heather Millard — Producer 34 pitching forum Markell Productions & Spier Films Selvogsgrunn 29, 104 — Reykjavik (Iceland) — Tel. +354 693 5698 heather@spierfilms.com — www.spierfilms.com After a series of unfortunate miscommunication in the command center of the Icelandic Power Company, a young electrical engineer, Mr. Felix Gretarsson, was sent up a high-voltage mast to repair a power line in 1998. When he reached the top of the mast, he was struck with lethal high-voltage of 11.000 volts (A normal household currency is 120-240 volts). Mr. Gretarsson only survived because he had not connected the mandatory safety line at the moment of the accident. His hands burned off in a split second and he fell to the ground, broke his spine and all his ribs disconnected from the spine, due to the high voltage electrical shock. In an instant, he went from being a healthy young man in the prime of life - to being an invalid with charred stumps where his hands were minutes before and multiple broken and dislodged bones as well as severe internal organs damage. He was rushed to the hospital where he was kept in a medically induced coma for more than 90 days. He underwent serial operations to save his life and what was salvageable of his hand stumps. All the while he was aware what had happened and was trying to come to consciousness to tell his loved ones that he was OK. The doctors fought his will to wake up and steadily increased the medicine portions. Mr Gretarsson describes this period as a never-ending nightmare with constant hallucinations - all the while he is trying to will himself to consciousness. He had the feeling he was being sawed into pieces and describes how he heard the saw roar while dismembering him and cutting off parts of his head. When Mr.Gretarsson finally wakes up, three months after the accident, and realizes only his hands are missing from his body he is so happy that the rest of his body is there that he cries with relief. In the end we will have a clear picture of a man who did everything he had to in order to be able to hug his children again. Hopefully the operation will succeed and Mr. Gretarsson will be able to contribute to society. If the operation fails - we will still have witnessed a man going the distance for his dream. We will have learned to do the right thing by Mr. Gretarsson’s example, and that in itself is worth a lot in a world where the easy way is constantly being offered to people in exchange for some part of their spiritual or material freedom. Hopefully we will end the film on a shot of a man, raising his hands towards the sky in triumph. A fellow human being who took back his life in his hands with the help of complete strangers who recognized the greatness of being able to help a fellow man anonymously. Seeing a man rise from his ashes like the Phoenix is enough for anyone’s belief in life to be reaffirmed. That is our aim as filmmakers with this film - to make a film that promotes a positive outlook to life, even if your circumstances are bleak and more than hopeless. 35 35 SELECTED PROJECTS pitching forum PROJECT DESCRIPTION “At Popenguine, religion no longer exists. There are only people who have faith.” Antoine Sfeir POPENGUINE Looking for Co-producer’s investment and other funding for 18,000 euros. Crew Producer — Sandrine Bagarry Director — Ludovic Lang Script — Anne-Sphie Reinhardt Pilgrims from all over West Africa converge in Popenguine, small Senegalese fishing village to celebrate Pentecost. This is a Christian pilgrimage that could not exist without the support of the village’s Muslim community. The monumental scale of this annual event testifies to Muslim-Christian fraternity and the mindset of an entire population. France French | 52’ | HD | Stereo | 16/9 | Human interest Track record of producer 2013: “La jeune fielle à la Pie Rouge”, by Sylvie Habault & Guy Faucon 2013: “La Vendue”, by Samuel Toutain & Philippe Priéto Budget Confirmed Financing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (82.1 %) 82,721 € Financing Sought . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (17,9 %) 17,279 € Total Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100,280 € Financing Sources 2013: “Ombres et Lumières”, by Valérie Deschênes Proposed by its authors, Popenguine is a documentary that is particularly important to us. Big Bang Films strives to produce films that allow people to see the world differently. This documentary, which highlights a peaceful and joyful Africa, a serene Islam, religions that accept each other, dialogue with each other, and live together, fully attains this goal by spreading a precious message. A message that is even more striking for it comes to us from Africa… Therefore, we instantly wished to produce “Popenguine” for its humanistic content but also for the impressive images it spontaneously calls up: continuous stream of pilgrims, small seaside village invaded by crowds, organized chaos of housing and meals, rituals of African Christians… This subject also holds a surprise: this African pilgrimage was created by a French priest. He fell in love with Popenguine’s cliffs, which reminded him of those of his native Normandy. So the pilgrimage was modeled on that of Douvres-la-Délivrande, in Calvados. The black virgin is a copy of the Norman one. The different atmosphere of the two pilgrimages today will for sure illustrate our cultural and ritual differences… The film will be made without voiceovers. It will suggest things rather than pushing them, allowing the viewer to draw his own conclusions. The authors’ viewpoint will be expressed subtly, without proselytism or heavyhanded moralism. The narration will follow the chronology of the pilgrimage, the preparations and then the event itself. It will allow the viewer to guess, little by little, the Muslim identity of the host village, without forcing the issue or pointing out the religions of each participant. The documentary has been pre-acquired by KTO. As a result, the version delivered will be religious. Nonetheless, we also plan to finalize a more general version which will address spirituality and fraternity more than religion. This version will have an international aim, because we think that this inter-confessional message of peace deserves to be widely broadcast. To this end, we are seeking international partners in order to finance the additional cost of the second editing and also provide international markets opportunities to this documentary. Big Band Films . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20,000 € KTO TV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29,521 € CNC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26,000 € Procirep-Angoa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,200 € Production Company Pitcher Sandrine Bagarry — Producer 36 big band films 36, boulevard de la Bastille — 75012 Paris — Tel. +33 1 43 07 18 42 admin@bigbangfilms.fr — www.bigbangfilms.fr 37 SELECTED PROJECTS pitching forum SYNOPSIS A documentary that shows for the first time the educational methods of Maurice Béjart of forming apprentices dancers. Shaping Dancers! “Bèjart’s art of forming dancers” International broadcasters (pre-sales) or co-producers (postproduction). The documentary reveals the passionate two-year journey of five international teenagers immersed in the eclectic universe of Maurice Béjart of the Ecole-Atelier Rudra Béjart, and striving to become professional dancers. Crew Switzerland Producer — Laura Elena Cordero Director — Laura Elena Cordero French, Spanish & Italian | 85’ & 4x45’ | Full HD 1920x1080 | Dolby Arts, music, culture, performance Track record of producer Budget 2005: “City Confirmed Financing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (76 %) 269,967 € Financing Sought . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (24 %) 85,253 € Total Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355,220 € Looking for of Diversity” Second Prize at ITB Berlin 2004: “Eine Frage der Zeit” (Una cuestion de tiempo), for Colorvivo Films. Financing Sources Ernst Goehner Stiftung . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16,151 € Fluxum Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,038 € OFC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40,378 € Vivace Films . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209,400 € Production Company Pitcher Laura Elena Cordero — Producer 38 Vivace FILMS Rue du Centre — 1131 Tolochenaz — Tel. +41 (0) 21 53 55 193 contact@vivacefilms.com — www.vivacefilms.com Every year, more than 120 young dancers, between 15 and 20 years old, come from around the world to l’Ecole-Atelier Rudra-Béjart in Lausanne (Switzerland) to train to become professional dancers! Only 25 are selected to begin an arduous and eclectic training for two years, according to the methodology of Maurice Béjart. The training is free of cost for them, according to the altruistic desire of the founder. The teenagers dancers receive the most varied artistic techniques with art masters (Martha Graham, Kendo, Indian Dance, ballet, acrobatics and even Commedia dell’ Arte and African Percussion). As a condition to remain in the school, they need to assimilate the new techniques, but also need to keep up with the intense rhythm. The documentary focuses on 7 international dancers from Spain, France, Japan, Italy and Switzerland. The viewer discovers the Béjart method of shaping dancers. NOTE OF THE DIRECTOR I wanted to portray the process of becoming a professional dancer according to Maurice Béjart through the eyes of teenagers. “Shaping Dancers” is about the transformation and evolution of adolescents. I was captured from day one by the extreme sensitivity and passion of the young apprentices. Despite all the effort and discipline, sacrifices and work, their joy at being able to do what they love most is evident, touching and inspiring. I wanted to understand their way of thinking and their world. I wanted to get closer to their vulnerability and capture their thoughts. Each protagonist revealing his/her personal challenge. The world of the school - Atelier Rudra-Béjart leaves no young dancer indifferent. The Rudra School in Lausanne is an exceptional place, not only because of the originality of the programme, which embodies the multicultural spirit of Béjart, or because it is free for all international teenagers, and allows them to enter into unconventional artistic territories, but mainly because the young international dancers strive together with heart, body and soul to achieve a dream that will change their life and open career in the world of dance. Rudra is a place of human transformation. During their training, Rudra students transform their bodies, their minds and their perception of the world before spreading their wings. The art of forming dancers according to Béjart has never yet been portrayed in a documentary. To give a real place to art is essential in our society. The art of dance explained by youth in the process of becoming professional dancers is rare, necessary and refreshing in our days. The documentary film promise inspiration, reflection, entertainment ... light for the arts! 39 SELECTED PROJECTS pitching forum STanding man - Beat him? - Why? He’s just standing there. - Leave him alone? Then he wins, doesn’t he? Standing Man Looking for Co-production agreements and/or possible sales. Crew Producer — Didem Ayberkin Director — Aziz Alaca Camera — Çaglar Çakan Duran Adam On May 2013, Turkish police fired tear gas into a peaceful protest held to save Gezi Park. This set off the biggest civil uprising in the history of the Turkish Republic. After 17 days of demonstrations, where all the hopes were shattered, something remarkable happened. A single man showed up and stood silently for 8 hours. Erdem Gündüz, a performance artist quickly gained him the nickname “Standing Man” and inspired the entire world. turkey Track record of producer Son Doctor”. In pre-production. Turkish | 80-90’ | HD | Stereo | Arts, music, culture 2013: “My Founded in 2012, Ankara Movie House aims to be productive in all fields concerning motion picture, such as future lenght movies, documentaries, short films, music movies and corporate movies. With two shorts films and a documentary, Ankara Movie House is also passioned for new talents and projects. Pitcher Didem Ayberkin — Producer 40 Budget Confirmed Financing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (51.8 %) 113,000 € Financing Sought . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (48.2 %) 105,000 € Total Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218,000 € Financing Sources K2 Medya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53,000 € Ankara Movie House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60,000 € On Friday, May 31, Turkish riot police fired tear gas and pepper spray into a peaceful protest held to save Gezi Park, one of the last green areas in central Istanbul. This set off the biggest civil uprising in the history of the Turkish Republic. The unrest has spread like wildfire to more than 60 cities where protests are still ongoing. This is not about a park. It’s about not being heard, the abuse of state power, the media being censired, the minorities not being protected... Overall it’s about democracy. On June 17th, the police didn’t let the group who gathered together after the call of the trade unions to wal toeards Taksksim Square. Tasksim Square was now closed even to the tourists. Then, something remarkable happened. A single man showed up and stood silently for 8 hours. Erdem Gündünz, a performance artist quickly gained him the nickname “Standing Man”. Within hours this courageous and inspiring act had gone viral. Hundreds joined him in a silent vigil. The news spread through social media, becoming the top twitter trend worldwide. The duran adam (‘standing man’) protest was subsequently replicated across the country and beyond – in Ankara, Izmir, Amsterdam, London, Sydney, Atlanta, New York, Seoul, Berlin, Paris, etc. This was an exemplary show of passive resistance – singular, silent, stationary and symbolic. This documentary focuses on “Standing Man”, his life and perspective on gezi park demonstrations and the real reason of his worldwide reputation. At the same time, Alaz Kuseyri, tries to examine the censorship towards media and its relation with the demonstrations. The documentary will try to answer questions such as “How a single man inspired Turkish protesters in Istanbul? How a single artistic movement shaped a mass cib¡vil resistance? What was the attitude of media and what influence had this attitude on citizens? The combination of existing footage and projected shootings will be mounted in a humorous way and editing, integrated with animations, regarding the intelligence and humour shown in the protests. And also footages from a film named ‘Vatandas Riza (1977)” stroying a man standing still in a square for his freedom will be used as a reference. Aziz Alaca, Writer - Director Production Company Ankara Film Evi (Ankara Movie House) 37/2 Kucukesat/Cankaya — 06690 Ankara — Tel. +90 312 419 80 16 didem@ankarafilmevi.org — www.ankarafilmevi.org 41 SELECTED PROJECTS pitching forum The wolf is bad. It is diabolic. And lastly, it is heretic. Although the wolf is a creature of this world, it is translated to a symbolic plane, and thus loses its original traits and acquires new ones. [G.Ortalli, Lupi genti culture (Wolves peoples cultures), Biblioteca Einaudi, 1997] stories of wolves and men Looking for TV broadcasting (Europe), financing and support (Europe). Crew The return of wolves brings disarray to the Alpine villages. As researches and park rangers follow their tracks to study their behaviour, shepherds start organizing in order to take them on, and inhabitants are somewhat divided as to their prsence. Very few have seen these creatures, but everyone talks about them. Producers — Babydoc & ICTV Directors — Alessandro Abba Legnazzi & Andrea Deaglio italy Track record of producers Budget 2010: “Il futuro del mondo passa da Qui – Cuty Veins”. Joris Ivens Award at Cinema du Réel 2010. Confirmed Financing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (26 %) 26,000 € Financing Sought . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (74 %) 74,000 € Total Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100,000 € 2010: “Pietro” (feature film). Locarno Film Festival. Distributor: Lucky Red. Financing Sources 2008: “Rata Nece Biti”. Best documentary 2009 at David di Donatello Award. Italian & French | 52’ & 90’ | XDCAM | Stereo | Human interest RAI Valle d’Aosta. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,000 € Film Comission Torino Piemonte . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,000 € Film Comission Valle d’Aosta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,000 € STRUCTURE & STYLE ‘Stories of men and wolves’ is a choral film, with different characters, and the central theme emerges from points of view that vary greatly, sometimes in complete contrast, with a dialectic intention. Most of these characters appear just once; occasionally they return to the fray a second time. We will not resort to naturalistic documentary techniques, but the wolf will be treated as if it were a “ghost”, its story told by material coming from different sources, and fulfilled by the protagonists themselves. The documentary will in fact include: - infra-red films recorded by video traps - films and/or photos fulfilled by shepherds and characters - films of scientific nature created by Park Authorities and Science Research projects The prevalent style will be that of a creative documentary. There will be no author-interviewer present. Instead the viewer will be led through the various situations solely by the characters. The use of wide shots will be frequent, also when portraying characters, also to the purpose of leaving a lot of room to the surroundings (the mountains, the villages, the alpine countryside, the stables, the woods, the open stretches of land, and in contrast, the urban areas) and therefore the context will take on a particularly active role. Long sequence shots will be used and shots without continuity, able to give an idea of the passing of time concerning the places and the lives of the characters. There is also the possibility of two or three moments of animation, whereby through illustration one may recreate evocative situations tied to the ancestral and fable-like dimension of the wolf. These people recognize the wolf as a symbol of this changing of the times, of the ever-advancing woods, which have already begun to eat up small pastures and agricultural ledges. The wolf moves onwards and causes houses to be abandoned, the wolf clears out the mountain population and chases the people back to their metropolis. Yet the first great obstacle for Mariano could well be his own people. He defines it aptly on a phrase in his book: “The crumbling of society has produced an atomization of what remains of society in the mountains: individual interests have taken over.” Mariano knows full well that in order to increase their power and standing, the mountain people need to begrudgingly form alliances and agreements with the people of the planes. Production Company Pitcher Michael Noll — Producer 42 BABYDOC FILM Via Artisti 30 — 10124 Torino (Italy) — Tel. +30 011 8179192 info@babydocfilm.it — www.babydocfilm.it 43 SELECTED PROJECTS pitching forum ‘Tadmor’ tackles the issue of human capacities in the face of barbarism, resistance and termination. The film is an ode to the human ability to survive. A story of hope and survival. TADMOR Broadcasters, world sales agent, private funding, distribution (France, Switzerland, Lebanon excepted). Ten Libanese men recall their long, painful years in Syria’s notorious ‘Tadmor Prison’. As words cannot fully describe the torture, pain, fear and humiliation they experienced, they reenact their narratives physically through the film. Tadmor is a story of hope and survival. Crew FRANCE Producers — Philippe Avril, Gabriela Bussmann, Serge Gordey, Monika Borgmann & Lokman Slim Directors — Monika Borgmann & Lokman Slim Arabic | 90’ | HD | Stereo | Human Rights Looking for Budget Confirmed Financing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (7.9 %) 35,182 € Financing Sought . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (92.1 %) 405,818 € Total Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441,000 € Track record of producer 2012: “The Fifth Season”. Arca Cinema Giovani Jury Award & Green Drop Award at Venice IFF 2012; Special Prize of the Jury, Fipresci Award & Youth Jury Prize at Valladolid IFF, Seminci 2012. 2011: “Chatrack” & “The End of Silence”, both offical selection, Director’s Fortnight, Cannes 2011 Pitcher Monika Borgmann — Director 44 Financing Sources UNLIMITED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11,110 € UMAM PRODUCTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20,000 € GOLDEN EGG PRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4,072 € Broadcast-guarantee: TSR (Switzerland) Production Company UNLIMITED 5, rue de Champagne — 67300 Schiltigheim (Fr) — Tel. +33 88194202 phavril@unlimited-films.net — www.unlimited-films.net Synopsis Why Tadmor? I have spent many years covering the world of violence, first as a journalist and author, and later as a filmmaker. In doing so, the questions always remain the same: What drives a human to commit inhuman acts? How can someone overcome his own inner defenses and become able to commit such heinous crimes? In covering the subject of individual violence, I conducted hours of interviews with a former sniper in. I wrote about Eyal Sivan and Rony Brauman’s Eichmann film A Specialist, which for me served as an example of administrative violence. I published a book that included interviews with Algerian journalist and writer Said Mekbel, a man who foretold his own assassination and even named the person who would ultimately be responsible. This I refer to as invisible violence. And finally, I directed the film Massaker, which was a journey into collective violence. After Massaker, I felt I had somehow reached a culminating point. Through the NGO I co-direct (UMAM Documentation and Research), I came into close contact with a number of former Lebanese political detainees in Syria. It was as if I had never done Massaker,as all of the questions had returned. This was how Tadmor began. I gained the men’s trust. Thus, when I proposed the film to them, they agreed to accompany me on this journey. They are ready to exorcize the specter of Tadmor from their lives. Tadmor will be structured organically along three axes. These narratives will be intermingled during the editing process. – The Assessment A hospital examination room staffed by a general practitioner. The area is “clinically white” and clean, the scene almost overexposed. The men of Tadmor will undergo a complete physical checkup during which their bodies will testify to the years they spent in prison. – The Speech Light cascades from above to brighten several cubic meters of space in which a comfortable, black chair has been placed. One after another, the men of Tadmor will sit in that chair to offer their testimonies of the prison. Though the chair will serve as an anchor, the men will be free to gesture, stand and move about, but every action will take place in that confined space–as was the case during their incarceration. The men of Tadmor will do their best to describe the daily routine that ruled their existence while they were shut away in the desert prison. When they are unable to find words that will allow them to continue, the men will shift to a spontaneous reenactment of the time they spent as prisoners. – The Action An open, abandoned space. Words absolutely fail to describe the horrors of Tadmor. Reenacting Tadmor propels the men into the past, which enables them to obliterate memories of its horrors. In doing so, they are given a choice of roles to play: the victim... or the victimizer. The camera will capture the violence they reenact as well as the emotions they display — which range from terror, fear, pain and despair. 45 SELECTED PROJECTS pitching forum synopsis TEACHING IGNORANCE Looking for Pre-buy and co-production with international broadcasters (worldwide) and MG from an international sales agent (worldwide). How do the Palestinian and Israeli education systems teach about the history of the conflict? Through portraits of teachers in school classes in both sides, the film traces the conscious and subconscious narratives that are transmitted to the next generations of this long lasting conflict. France Crew Producers — Tatiana Bouchian & Oury MIilshtein Director — Tamara Erde Script — Tamara Erde Hebrew, Arabic & English | 80/90’ | HD | Stereo | Education Budget Confirmed Financing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (49 %) 92,200 € Financing Sought . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (51 %) 98,461 € Total Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190,661 € Track record of producer 2007: “Trivial”, directed by Sophie Marceau”. Released in the USA, Japan, and in approximately 20 countries worldwide. Financing Sources France 3 Via Stella . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26,000 € CNC COSIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25,000 € Procirep-Angoa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,200 € Why Not Productions (Fr distribution / dvd) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30,000 € Grant Brot für die Welt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,000 € Production Company Pitcher Tatiana Bouchian — Producer 46 This documentary film traces the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as it is presented and taught in the different public education systems: The Israeli (national, Arab and religious) and the Palestinian systems (west bank and Gaza strip). Through portraits of several history teachers and educators filmed in their class, during 2012-2013, the film reveals the different narrations and approaches for teaching the complex and charged history of the conflict. The chosen schools are set in locations which emphasis as well the changing everyday life of the conflict - The schools are set in Jerusalem, The North of Israel, Nablus, Ramallah and a colony near Hebron. Teaching a nation’s history, when it comes to controversial and painful events, is always a delicate issue. History in itself, is forever a subject of interpretations, deformations, selective choices - which facts are told and which aren’t. When it comes to Teaching it, those questions are even more present. Then, if we look at a situation in which the history is still in its writing stages, everyday, in which the conflict and state of war between two nations is an on-going matter, these questions and dilemmas about history classes and civil studies, are even more problematic. Such is the case in the Israeli and Palestinian educational systems. Since its establishment, Israel has been in a state of war. Its schools have been functioning under this “war mentality” from the beginning and on. This has had countless influences on the teachers, the themes, the norms of this system. This influence is so strong, that it seems that today, very few teachers are aware of it. It has become part of the habits, the obligations that are unquestionable. Some of those teachers are very surprised at first to hear this questions – “Why should we teach the history of the other side?” Their reality is clear and unquestionable. In the few cases, that were done to change this situation, to try and teach the conflict from both sides: for example – mentioning the Nakba* (the Palestinian disaster) in parallel to the Israeli Independence Day, teachers were fired, school principals were threatened. On the other side, the Palestinian education system is facing the difficulties of a new system, officially formed only after the Oslo Agreements (1993), and functioning under the restrictions of the occupation which influences not only its practical aspects but also the perceptions and moral of the teachers and students, when coming to discuss the conflict and its history as well as democracy issues and civil rights. The film interlaces the story of the six schools and teachers in parallel, constructing for the viewer the different and sometimes opposing universes of the teachers in the various schools. The film reveals this tendencies, norms and myths that are on the basis of the education systems, through interviews with teachers, following their classes in schools, as well as by revealing and documenting the censorship held by the ministry, which forbid interviewing teachers that hold different views then the norms. ILIADE & FILMS 7, rue Arthur Groussier — 75010 Paris (France) Tel. +33 6 66 85 24 70 — tbouchain@orange.fr 47 SELECTED PROJECTS pitching forum With the support of: treatment The Invisible City (Paradise in Hell) THE INVISIBLE CITY Neredzama pilseta Broadcaster, co-producer from the Nordic countries, Germany and other countries. Our film will be about the paradise we have found in a place which is supposed to be the hell. We will take you into a journey to a forbidden area to show that heart is the only place one should look for the paradise. Crew Latvia Producer — Guntis Trekteris Director — Viesturs Kairiss Russian | 52 & 70’ | HD | Stereo | Human interest Looking for Budget Track record of producer 2008: “My Mother’s farm” IDFA Silver Wolf Competition, Norwegian Best Television Documentary. 2002: “Flashback” Russian National Film Award Nika, Telaviv International Documentary Festival, Jury Diploma. Confirmed Financing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (66 %) 88,940 € Financing Sought . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (34 %) 45,214 € Total Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134,154 € Financing Sources Media Plus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17,500 € National Film Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49,657 € Culture Capital Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,143 € Ego Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,640 € Production Company Pitcher Guntis Trekteris — Producer 48 Ego Media Baznicas iela 8-20 — LV 1010 Riga (Latvia) — Tel. +371 67291720 marta@egomedia.lv — www.egomedia.lv Our film will be about the paradise we have found in a place which is supposed to be the hell. We will take you into a journey to a forbiddenarea to show that heart is the only place one should look for the paradise. We were fascinated by an old Russian legend about the Invisible City. When enemy approached the city its inhabitants did not defend it; they just prayed. And suddenly the city disappeared; it became invisible. The enemy took to flight in panic. Thus the city with all of its inhabitants was saved from destruction. By disappearing. It is still situated on the same place and people go on living happily but we simply do not see them any more. Almost nobody is able to find the way to this city. Only the ones who are pure in their heart and soul will find a way to the invisible city. This invisible city is a paradise. The paradise found instead of the intended destruction. Thus we decided to look for this invisible city, this paradise where people could live happily in harmony with nature and in isolation from the rules dictated by civilization. And we found a place like this. This is a place you cannot find in any maps, a place GPS does not show. And this place is hardly visible within the landscape. It is a civilization grown into nature. Once people lived there; now nature has overgrown them. And in this place we found happy people who are living there in peace and happiness and who are almost invisible to the rest of the world. A colony of old people live there. They live in overgrown houses, surrounded by nature and primordinality. Almost like in paradise. This place is Chernobyl Zone of Alienation. This is a place shut down for living since it still has a peril of high radiation level. Old people are living in Chernobyl Zone of Alienation – despite the danger of radiation they have returned to their homes in abandoned villages. Who could be this human being, so clean and innocent in the heart and soul that he or she can find a way to this paradise, see the might and the beauty of this place, hidden to the rest of us? Who could be this Parsifal, Kaspar Hauser and Dostoevsky’s Idiot? And we found a man like this by accident in a forest of Chernobyl. IGOR, our main character, is a man in his thirties with two university degrees who has found his escape in Chernobyl as he cannot survive in a modern city mentally and physically. Igor is very handy; he is fishing, hunting and producing electricity himself. Surviving in almost wild nature is very difficult; it is a hard work lasting all day long, 7 days a week. But probably the most challenging is the loneliness as you are your only friend and enemy. Will he succeed in finding his paradise in Chernobyl or will he, by reasons depending on himself or enforced from outside, break and leave the Zone? This will be the core of our story. 49 SELECTED PROJECTS pitching forum Synopsis The Jazira Looking for Commissioning editors, buyer’s, sales agent and documentary distributor. Crew Producers — Malik Menai, Karim Aitouna & Thomas Micoulet Director — Anna Roussillon La Jazira A village near Luxor, on the western bank of the Nile: a cluster of small buildings seemingly heaped on top of one another, surrounded by endless fields and deserts. In early 2011, when the revolution broke out, nothing seemed to be changing for Farraj, his family, and his neighbors. Now, everyone is talking about a constitution, rights, elections, and hopes for change – the way, back in the old days, they used to talk about bread, the wheat harvest, or a wedding. FRANCE Track record of producer of the Carribean” by Jean Christophe Ribot, with ARTE France, CNC, MEDIA, ZED. Arabic | 90/52’ | HD | Stereo | Current affairs 2012: “Primates 2011: “Robots at War” by Jean Martial Lefranc. Broadcasters: France 5, RTBF, TV5 Monde, Terra Noa. 2010: “The great Invasion” by Stephane Horel., with France 5, Media, Procirep. Summer 2013, late June. Egypt was suspended after the announcement of new massive demonstrations against the Muslim Brotherhood politics. Faraj is completely absorbed by his mill on the eve of Ramadan, which gives him more works than usual. But he signed the petition “Tamarrod” (Rebellion) calling for early elections, following the movement of 22 million Egyptians. And he complains like everyone does here: water and power cut are daily occurrences, petrol and gas are in short, the tourists have disappeared even more than before. The concrete sense that the country is not doing well. The corruption has not yet packed its luggages. Nothing has really changed, or even worse. Arrive the June 30th and the images of places in the country came into rebellion. More protesters than in January and February 2011. Faraj watches TV, amazed. The next day he goes to his first demonstration in Luxor, chanting the slogans that he had previously heard on the television. In the village, children wave their flags and organize in the evening between them the demonstrations and sing the songs of Tahrir Square: “ The people want the fall of the regime.” On July 3rd, Faraj riveting on the TV at his friend al-Tohami’s, waiting the army’s declaration, they are happy to enjoy together their political reconciliation. A silence moment, then cheers and horns, welcome the news of Morsi’s dismissal, followed by a long inflamed debate with al-Tohami’s nephews who support Morsi. On July 24th, the discourse of al- Sisi, army chief and new strong man, surprises everyone: will the army form the government? With military medals, sunglasses, he calls on Egyptians to protest in support of his fight against the terrorism. Suddenly, in the middle of a sentence, the TV, the light turn off: a power cut. A sudden return to everyday reality, as a way to cut off his whistle. And loud laughs of Faraj in the dark softened with a flashlight. Obviously: now we will no longer let ourselves be pushed around. Budget Confirmed Financing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (31 %) 69,500 € Financing Sought . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (69 %) 138,913 € Total Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208,413 € Financing Sources CNC development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22,500 € Champagne Ardenne Regional Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35,000 € Institut français . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,500 € Scam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,500 € Production Company Pitcher Karim Aitouna — Producer 50 hautlesmains productions 13 bis route de Vienne — 69007 Lyon (France) — Tel. +33 668175187 contact@hautlesmainsproductions.fr — www.hautlesmainsproductions.fr 51 12 pitching forum SELECTED PROJECTS A fascinating tale of robbery and violence, greed and deception – and of the desperate efforts to stop the sell-out of Cambodia’s unique cultural heritage. The LOST Warriors Looking for Co-productions, pre-buys. Crew Producer — Tristan Chytroschek Director — Wolfgang Luck Der Raub der Dschungelkrieger How does Cambodia’s most famous temple statue end up in Sotheby’s auction catalogue? This film tells the story of a spectacular case of art robbery. We follow the route of an iconic warrior sculpture looted from a Khmer temple to a posh auction house in New York. An investigative journey into the murky world of the antiques trade. GERMANY Track record of producer 2012: “Cannibalised”. Nominated for Prix Europa, official selection FIGRA 2012, sold to 16 countries. 2011: “Songs of War” International Emmy Award, sold to 25 countries. 2008: “Collective Minds” Best Science Documentary, Green Screen Award, Golden Dragen, sold to 11 countries. English | 52’ | HD CAM | Stereo | 16/9 | Current affairs, investigative journalism Budget Confirmed Financing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (57 %) 87,000 € Financing Sought . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (43 %) 58,000 € Total Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145,000 € Financing Sources SWR/ARTE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77,000 € Java Films . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,000 € Synopsis When he leafed through Sotheby’s auction catalogue last year, archaeologist Simon Warrack couldn’t believe what he saw. With a starting bid of two million dollars a life-sized, 500-pound warrior statue dating back to the Cambodian Khmer dynasty was to be auctioned in New York. The catalogue boasted: “If one could choose only one sculpture to symbolise the glory of the Khmer art, this figure could fulfil such a challenge.” What the catalogue doesn’t say: The spectacular fighter watched over the temples of Koh Ker for more than 1000 years, before Khmer Rouge looters cut him and his twin brother off their pedestals in the early 1970s. By selling scores of ancient artefacts like these to international art smuggling cartels, the communist terrorist group financed their bloody war in Cambodia, which ended with the massacre of two million people. Simon Warrack works as an archaeologist on the restoration of the Koh Ker temples and he knows only too well where the two famous warriors once stood. He points at two empty pedestals. Foot stumps are the only thing left to see. “Sotheby’s must be aware of the bloody history of these statues. If this deal isn’t stopped, it’s a carte blanche for art smugglers around the world.” Sotheby spokeswoman Jane A. Levine’s response is not very convincing: “Well, art theft is hard to define as it’s perceived differently by everyone. Our expertise gives us the certainty that in this case, we are operating under the highest ethical standards.” The last battle of the two warriors will take place at a courthouse in New York. The auction has been suspended because of protests by the Cambodian government. The final decision is expected later this year. Several U.S. museums are nervously awaiting the outcome, because in the wake of the Sotheby’s scandal it transpired that statues looted by the same gang can be found in museums in New York, Denver and Pasadena. The Metropolitan Museum in New York has now responded to the revelations and returned two life-sized Khmer statues to Cambodia. The other museums are unwilling to back down, and Sotheby’s are determined to fight for their right to auction off the warrior. This story reveals the workings of the international antiques mafia. And it raises questions about the moral responsibility of museums and the credibility of supposedly reputable auction houses. The court case in New York is expected to set a precedent for the regulation of the trade in antiquities and artefacts. Production Company Pitcher Wolfgang Luck — Director 52 a&o buero An der Alster 18 — 20099 Hamburg (Germany) Tel. +49 40 2800 6881 — tristan@a-o-buero.de — www.a-o-buero.de 53 SELECTED PROJECTS pitching forum synopsis The Rise of the Gulf - Beyond Black Gold Looking for Still required 88,277 Euros Crew Producer — Olivier Mille Director — Frédéric Compain Script — Frédéric Compain Two films to tell the incredible tale of the metamorphosis of the Gulf’s emirates. Once villages, Doha, Abu Dhabi and Dubai have hoisted themselves into the highest ranks of international finance, culture, education and diplomacy, and have become the Middle East’s most dynamic centres. France English, Arabic & French | 2x52’ | HD CAM | Stereo | 16/9 | History Track record of producer 2012: “Lebanon, of Wars and Men” (3x52’), FIPA 2013. 2012: “Indian Summer” (90’/58’), Dada Sahed FF 2013, FIPA 2013, Thessaloniki IFF 2013. 2012: “Mussolini-Hitler, the Killer’s Opera” (90’), SEMINCI 2012. 2011: “Farewell Comrades!” (6x52’), Focal Award 2012, category “Best Use of Footage on Non-Television Platforms”, London 2012 Pitcher Olivier Mille — Producer 54 Budget Confirmed Financing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (71.47 %) 394,600 € Financing Sought . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (28.53 %) 152,277 € Total Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 546,877 € Financing Sources ARTE FRANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280,000 € RTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,400 € CNC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74,000 € Doha Film Institute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15,200 € Artline Films . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15,000 € Production Company How the Gulf’s top cities became global players. How pearls and oil made them the world’s wealthiest nations. How yhey now want to change the whole Arab world. Our two documentary films will tell the incredible tale of the metamorphosis of the Gulf’s leading cities through the last century until today. Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha... Once villages, now metropolis, they have hoisted themselves into the world’s highest ranks of international finance, transport, industry, and diplomacy. They have become experts in “soft power”, and even managed to stay away from the turmoil of the region. Will they also outlive the oil era? The first film will focus on the historical background of the exponential growth of the Gulf’s city-states. As we explore their more distant past, we will discover how they had already become flourishing and globalized centers of trade in the time of the pearl trade. The sudden collapse of the “white gold” market was a terrible blow. The Gulf’s Arabian coast only recovered with the miraculous discovery of oil. Then history accelerated amazingly: “A century in 30 years”, says one observer of the time, “We could see a time coming when there wouldn’t be enough sand in the desert to build all our dreams”. As early as the 1960s, the Sheikhs start imagining a post-oil world: how will they survive this time, when their main source of wealth will disappear once again? Our second film unveils the Sheikhs’ dreams for the future. The multisecular ruling dynasties of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates share the same assets: a small population, huge oil and gas reserves, political stability, religious moderation. Contrary to Bahrain and Kuwait, they have avoided uprisings and invasion. They have followed the same development path: massive investments at home and abroad, diplomatic activism on all of the Middle East’s conflicts. Using visibility and influence to promote their own safety, they have become indispensable players in many key sectors of the global economy: finance, sports, green technologies, air transportation, contemporary art… For Western and Asian powers, they are not just suppliers anymore, but partners. In the Arab world, they are no longer just builders; they project to become role models. But huge challenges are ahead, that jeopardize the Gulf’s amazing growth. The welfare-state has reached a critical size. Energy consumption skyrockets, lowering hydrocarbon revenues. Citizens are increasingly worried by the alignment with the West’s customs. Ambitious investments abroad are met with caution by recipient countries. The threat of terrorism is at the door. And relations with the big neighbors, Iran and Saudi Arabia, are overshadowed by complex religious and economic issues. Will the Middle East’s most spectacular success stories keep away from the Arab Spring? ARTLINE FILMS 101, rue Saint-Dominique — 75007 Paris — Tel. +33 1 45 55 14 19 contact@artlinefilms.com — www.artlinefilms.com 55 12 pitching forum SELECTED PROJECTS the film The Story of Arab Feminism Histoire du féminisme Arabe International pre-sales & Films Funds such as AFAC, Sanad Fund, Enjaaz Fund, Screen Institute Beyrouth,... Arab feminism has existed for over a century. From Tunis to Casablanca, from Algiers to Cairo, the film recounts the main stages of a story still largely unheard of and unknown to Arabs and Westerners alike and questions whether it can survive in the present geopolitical context. Crew FRANCE Producer — Virginie Adoutte Director — Feriel Ben Mahmoud Arabic & French | 52/60’ | HD CAM | Dolby Stereo | 16/9 | History Looking for Budget Track record of producer 2011: “Luis Sepulveda, l’écrivain du bout du monde”. Grand prix festival international documentaire de Vébron (France). 2011: “Tunisie, année zéro”. Festival Ecrans du Réel (Beyrouth), Carthage Film Festival, 2006-2008: “Visages Confirmed Financing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (61 %) 172,000 € Financing Sought . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (39 %) 112,000 € Total Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284,000 € Financing Sources The long progression of women’s emancipation begins in the streets of Cairo and Tunis at the beginning of the 20th century. Its evolution adopts the hopes and contradictions of an Arab world whose struggle has often been trapped by revolutionary ideologies and demands for identity, incompatible with the assertion of individual freedom. From Tunis to Casablanca, from Algiers to Cairo, the aim of my film is to tell its History and to question whether it can survive in the present geopolitical context. Juxtaposing archive images and contemporary elements, the film alternates between excerpts of interviews and characters, as close as possible to the men and women of the Arab streets, creating a movement between the past and present. The film recounts the main stages of a story, still largely unheard of and unknown to Arabs and Westerners alike. In Egypt, we will recount the birth of Arab feminism which asserts itself at the beginning of the 20th century, when Cairo is the centre of a movement of an Arab political and cultural revival, the Nahda. At the same period, another movement is created, one that today has gained power through the ballot box – the Muslim Brotherhood. In Algeria, and in North Africa, we will talk of the ambiguities of colonialism concerning women. While France portrays itself as an emancipating power, it stages public ceremonies of the lifting of the veil – like in Algiers in 1958 – and organises the enslavement of an entire race. In Tunisia, we will recount how, from the moment the country becomes independent in 1956, President Bourguiba succeeds in creating this other direction, thanks to the Code of personal status. Women are given a unique status within the Arab world, and the traditionalists are obliged to progress, which would probably be impossible in the present context. In Morocco, we will show how in a very conservative country King Mohammed VI managed to help the status of women to evolve between the years 2000 and 2010, raising hopes for a positive evolution of women’s rights in other Arab countries. FRANCE 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130,000 € CNC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42,000 € d’Europe” Production Company Pitcher Virginie Adoutte — Producer 56 DRÔLE DE TRAME 7, rue Commines — 75 003 Paris (France) — Tel. +33 1 81 29 20 28 virginie.adoutte@droledetrame.fr — www.droledetrame.fr 57 12 pitching forum SELECTED PROJECTS Documentary TV series on the Culture of Peace. Each of its 12 episodes is about a subject directly related to Peace. VOICES FOR PEACE Looking for European and worldwide TV’s broadcasters. International Distributors Crew Producer — Fernando Acuña Director — Susana Guardiola Voces por la Paz Mai, a 12-year-old Chilean girl, asks herself the same questions as many other kids her age: Why is there so much war, poverty, pollution, people without food or drinking water? Is it possible a World of Peace? This series will offer possible answers and solutions to these questions, through 3 main narrative vehicles: Current Stories, Historical Landmarks, and Testimonies, men and women of worldwide relevance, architects of change. SPAIN Track record of producer Filmmaking Graduate, Executive Production specialty, U. Valparaíso. 2008: 2007: Editor of the book “The First 50 Years of Chilean TV”. 1994: Executive Production, funding and film projects development, Media Business School, European Union MEDIA Program, Spain. Spanish & English | 12 x 52’ | Full HD | Dolby | 16/9 Human Rights, Current affairs, investigative journalism Budget Confirmed Financing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (70 %) 230,000 € Financing Sought . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (30 %) 535,000 € Total Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 765,000 € Financing Sources (BE 360) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230,000 € Production Company Pitchers Susana Guardiola — Director Fernando Casado — Producer 58 GLOBAL CAD PRODUCTIONS C/ Muntaner, 180 — 08036 Barcelona (Spain) — Tel. +34 93 4950383 susana_guardiola@yahoo.com — www.cad-productions.org TREATMENT (STRUCTURE, STYLE POINT OF VIEW) This series does not intend to be a copy of reality, but a subjective interpretation, which gives us more freedom to creatively transform reality, creating our own language. It will be comprised of different layers, meaning very diverse audiovisual materials (documentary following, interviews, a 12 year old hostess, animations, stock footage, sound footage, still pictures, etc.), which means we’ll have a great image and sound richness, and will require a thorough editing work in order to create one only film unit with all these ingredients.. The Different Layers 1. The Tale: Mai’s Voice. We’ll see her in her bedroom, writing ideas on her notebook; at school, interacting with her teacher and classmates; and at different places in the city, doing things which create symbolic associations with the subjects of each episode. Her glance and voice will be reflexive and sensitive. At any moment she can transform into a hand drawn animation, to express the ideal world she imagines and proposes to us. The questions and thoughts she writes on her notebook will also transform into animations. 2. The Today’s Stories: The Characters’s Voices. A true, close, pure, not overloaded portrait, since the intrinsecal potential is powerful enough. The camera will shift between the spontaneous following (handheld, steadycam), and the mise-en-scène, more planned, with a more cinematographic language (shot-countershot, fixedcamera shots, subtle movements). Each character will be interviewed indepth, so that we can use their voice-overs, talking about their lives or dennouncing situations, therefore enriching the images. The cinematography will reinforce the visual poetry, creating a photographic, colorful atmosphere. Most situations will be shot with sunlight. We will use the Canon 5D camera, due to its great image quality (FullHD), freedom of movement, chance to use different lenses, excellent reproduction of colors and subtle gradaion of shades. The ambient sound and the voices in each place will provide us of a great richness of sound. 3. The Historical Landmarks: The Voices of the Past. Composed of stock footage and recent interviews. It’s not about a rigorous reconstruction of the past, but rather about how we see that past today. Rather than persuading with arguments, these voices will intend to move and touch. That’s why we’ll use all the potential of the audiovisual storytelling: the proximity of the human face, the quick juxtaposition of dissimilar images (stock footage, photos, graphs, newspapers, reconstructions)), the power of music and sound. We will look for materials which have been filmed with cinematographic intention. In order to achieve the narrative, dramatic structure, an essential element will be the voiceover, omniscient, the voice of History, which will tell some facts along with the voices of the characters and the testimonies of the sages. We will also include sound footage of the period, which will mix together with the stories. 59 SELECTED PROJECTS pitching forum Treatment Waiting for Another Beginning Looking for Co-producers & broadcasters. Crew Producer — Otaku Digital Film & Eka3 organization Director — Essam Esmail Script — Randa Abo el-Dahab A film focusing on teenagers who represent the majority participants in the Egyptian revolution. The film captures, at different stages, the moments of them going out to the streets demanding freedom, justice and human dignity. They now wait under a new corrupt regime that claims to be with the revolution. Egypt Arabic | 52’ | Digital HD | Stereo | Politics & Society Track record of producer Budget 2013: “Experimental Confirmed Financing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (83,64 %) 32,014 € Financing Sought . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (16.36 %) 6,260 € Total Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38,274 € Summer”, work in progress. Essam Esmail is an independent Egyptian director. He worked as an editor in several documentary and fiction projects. In 2011 he was the director of “The Hio Hop Culture” a six episodes documentary series for the Turkish TV, that covered the Hip Hop culture in Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt. Financing Sources Essam Esmail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20,032 € Otaku Digital Film . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,140 € Eka3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,842 € Production Company Pitcher Essam Esmail — Director 60 Otaku Digital Film & Eka3 organization 10 Huda shaarawy st. Downtown, Cairo (Egypt) Tel. +212 02 2390 6580 — waiting.for.another.beginning@gmail.com Chapter one: “The Beginning” A group of teenagers trying to break down one of the barriers built to block the streets where clashes took place. The barriers separate between the SCAF [Supreme Council of Army Forces] and the Muslim Brotherhood on a side, and protesters and revolutionaries on the other side. Parallel to this event we see interviews with teenagers among them the main characters of the film. They talk about their views about the revolution, what the revolution means, who is their enemy, and if they think they are effective or not. Then we see footage of the group of teenagers failing to break the barrier. The film starts with a strong argument between three out of our four main characters in the film [Amina, Seefy, Kenzy]. One of them asks Amina if she was in the last clashes. Amina replies that she is afraid to die in vain like those who died during the first two years of the revolution. Kenzy says: “the Muslim Brotherhood are there now and no one know how to deal with them! Frankly, tell me Amina, what should we do with them? Can you think of anything?”Amina insists that Mubarak’s regime didn’t fall neither the military rule. In front of a computer monitor we see Dina watching her photos during the revolution. Then her voice rises cheering in one of the demonstrations “Breed, Freedom, Social Justice… Breed, Freedom, Social Justice” A photo montage of Seefy walking on the streets of Downtown Cairo; confirming that the revolution is still continuing, although Mubarak is responsible for killing innocents and there was no fair trial for him. And now we are facing the Muslim Brotherhood who took over the regime and made a deal with the SCAF, but the day will come when everyone gets punished for their deeds. While Amina isn’t hiding that she is happy the Muslim Brotherhood are on the scene now so everyone could know their reality. “And when our country needs us we will be there” Amina. Kenzy is drawing graffiti in the streets about boycotting the presidential elections on 2012. Kenzy “ when we wrote the graffiti [Froget all what happened and go after the elections] people hated us because they wanted everything to remain the same”. We watch Dina distributing fliers in the street to support the campaign for boycotting the elections. Dina “The elections is a scenario to trick the Egyptian people and the SCAF should be in prison not holding elections. It doesn’t work that we ask the regime to change the regime for us.. How would they change it? The SCAF is the old regime. It will never change. And no good will come out of it”. Footage of the of the youth volunteering in the boycotting campaign; some of them giving away fliers to cars and others sitting on the ground holding signs and flags against the elections. 61 12 pitching forum SELECTED PROJECTS SUBJECT WALLS Muros Coproduxtion at USA, Mexico, France, Germany; distribution worldwilde amd private sponsors. When the Berlin Wall fell we shelved the idea of separation walls as part of the past. reality is the opposite. Never before have so many walls been built. There are millions of kilometres of fences, railings, barbed wire and walls in different parts of the world. Crew spain Producer — Pablo Iraburu Directors — Pablo Iraburu & Migueltxo Molina English & Spanish | 90’ | 4K | Dolby | Human interest Looking for Track record of producers 2012: “Pura Vida” (The Ridge). Serbitzu Award in San Sebastian, Genziana d’Or in Trento, Best Film in Barcelona Soprts Films. Presented at MEDIMED’13. 2006: “Nömadak TX”, Special Mention in San Sebastian, Audience Award at New European FF, Best Doc at Belfast FF, Cope de Cur at FIFE (Paris). Budget Confirmed Financing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (60 %) 439,000 € Financing Sought . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (40 %) 291,000 € Total Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 730,000 € Financing Sources MEDIA Program (submitted) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50,000 € ICAA (submitted). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200,000 € Basque government . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120,000 € Arena Comunicación Audiovisual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69,000 € We want to make this film to discover the terrible reality of the walls in the world and, with it, transmit and celebrate two very positive ideas. The first comes from a personal emotion: we are all humans. The second is an irrefutable fact: one day those walls will fall down. This film starts from a reality with unquestionable topicality and of great geopolitical interest. However, our aim is not to make a strategic or moral analysis of the walls we are going to portray. What we want to do, from a reality with enormous dimensions and huge dramatic character, is to talk about something that affects all of us, wherever we are from. We want to spark off debate and inform to generate discussion, yes, but we are more interested in the film being an intense and global celebration of the most essential part of the human being. As in the most intimate and authentic part of each of us is recognising the person on the other side as an equal. The subject is not geopolitical but rather human. The tone is dramatic, but looking for the positive catharsis. SynopsiS When the Berlin Wall fell the end of History was proclaimed. We shelved the idea of separation walls as part of the past. Reality is exactly the opposite. Never in the history of humanity have we built so many walls. There have never been so many fences, railings, barbed wire, ditches and walls. There are millions of kilometres, in the most far off and different parts of the world. This film narrates real stories of people who live on both sides of very different walls. The one that divides North Korea and South Korea, the barbed wire that is being built between Saudi Arabia and Yemen, the separation wall between the United States and Mexico, the fence that in Ceuta and Melilla is used as a border between Europe and Africa. The visual and narrative approach is centred on the wall concept, not entering geopolitical analysis or the strategic or moral assessment of the situation. The fact is that the wall exists. The fact is that there are human lives on both sides. When we discover the day to day life of seven specific personal stories, the wall allows us to talk about something much deeper. The close and intense portraits of real people, approaching their real and intimate life lets us see that, on both sides, we all share the same dreams, fears, thoughts and emotions. We use the drama represented by each wall, a drama that needs to be told, to transmit and celebrate an emotion that does not understand borders and that, unlike the walls, is immune to time: we can use the absurd symmetry of each wall as a mirror and it offers us an opportunity to celebrate that we are all human beings. Production Company Pitcher Pablo Iraburu — Producer 62 ARENA COMUNICACION AUDIOVISUAL C/ San Blas, 2 — 31014 Pamplona (Spain) — Tel. +34 948 315336 info@arenacomunicacion.com — www.arenacomunicacion.com 63 SELECTED PROJECTS With the support of: This is the tale of the Yorgos, the true heirs of the Rapa-­Nui culture, in their constant search for their own identity. A history about film colonization… YORGOS Looking for Post-Production finance or support (TV Pre-Sales for example). Crew Producer — Esteban Bernatas Directors — Paco Toledo & José Domingo Rivera Villegas In 1994, a Kevin Costner-produced Hollywood film would forever change the life of the people from Easter Island. Blockbuster Rapa-Nui attracted millions of dollars to the tiny island and offered a job to every resident, but strongly modified their traditions and the image many of them held of their own ancestors and themselves. SPAIN Spanish & Rapa-Nui | 90’ | HDV. Human rights, human interest and travel. Track record of producer 2009: “La Casa” Leipzig, DocsBarcelona and others 2009: “L’ Encirclement” World Premiere Berlinale (Forum). Budget Confirmed Financing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (74 %) 144,000 € Financing Sought . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (26 %) 50,000 € Total Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194,000 € Financing Sources 2010: “Apaga y vámonos” Hotdocs, Docupolis, Sheffield, Human Rights Watch, MiradasDoc and others. pitching forum Andoliado (Spain) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78,000 € Nómade DocFilms (Chile) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31,500 € MEDIA Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25,000 € ICIC (Catalonia) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,000 € Talatala (Spain) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,500 € Synopsis Easter Island is home to the most isolated human population on Earth. A small volcanic land where little more than 4.000 people live, known around the world for its monolithic stone statues, the moai. Tutuma has been adopted by the Rapa Nui. Born in France, he travelled the world as an aerospace engineer before his insatiable curiosity led him to Easter Island in 1989. There he met his wife Piru Hucke. An incontestable Rapa Nui leader, Piru has been fighting to revindicate her people’s forgotten past for decades, working to conserve the scattered remnants of Rapa Nui heritage. They have been exceptional witnesses of the massive transformation that has swept the island during the past 20 years. Through their eyes we will discover the conflict between development and identity that rages on Easter Island today. Ever since Kevin Costner brought the Hollywood juggernaut to the island and put Rapa Nui on the big screen, this remote society has been thrust inexorably towards modernity. The leap from agricultural self-sustenance to an economy based on a flourishing tourism industry has generated more money and ambition on Easter Island than ever before. Individualism and increasing competition are splintering the island. Most Rapa Nui today long for material goods: new cars, bikes, houses or businesses. Alex Tuki is amongst them. A businessman at heart, he distributes the fish caught locally across the island and to the continent. He has doubled the price of fish in just four years. He believes it is a fair game – if he doesn’t profit someone else will. Pinki and Chico have chosen to return to the land in an effort to preserve their freedom and identity against encroaching materialism. They are what the islanders know as Yorgos. Land has been until recently a common good. The Yorgos occupy and enclose land to cultivate and breed livestock, even if it is part of the National Park declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, due to its exceptional archaeological wealth. Our documentary reflects the contemporary nature of the Rapa Nui island as a small, largely isolated social nucleus which helps us to reflect on what looks like one of the universal conflicts of modern times: the clash between preserving culture and indigenous values and economic development of society. Production Company PitcherS Esteban Bernatas — Producer Paco Toledo — Director 64 Talatala Filmmakers C/ València, 72, entr. 4ª — 08015 Barcelona (Spain) Tel. 935327056 — info@talatala.net — www.talatala.net 65 12 pitching forum SELECTED PROJECTS SYNOPSIS ZERO TOLERANCE Looking for The remaining 23.86% of the budget financing, with an emphasis on the North American market Why are children as young as five being arrested in schools across the USA? In a misguided attempt to avoid another Columbine, a policy of Zero Tolerance has detained, fined and incarcerated hundreds of childrens and their parents. Have American schools become a pipeline to prison? Crew Producer — Sara Gibbins Director — Sara Gibbins Camera — Craig Hastings spain English | 60’ & 90’ | HD | Stereo | Human interest Budget Track record of producers 2013: “Be Fit Barcelona Fit”, online TV documentary series. 2010: “Catwalk Kids”. Co-production with RTVE & TVC. Best Doc and Best Eiting at Tenerife IFF 2011. Confirmed Financing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (76.14 %) 75,000 € Financing Sought . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (23.86 %) 23,500 € Total Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98,500 € Financing Sources RTVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50,000 € Padi Productions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25,000 € 2008: “It Dansa: Following the Footsteps”. Co-produced with Chello Multicanal. When Arnold Schwarzenegger played an undercover police officer interrogating toddlers in the 1990 movie “Kindergarten Cop”, audiences across the world laughed at the absurdity of the set up; a school treating little children like criminals? It would never happen in the real world, right? Wrong. For the last two decades, thanks to a policy of Zero Tolerance, several US States, including Texas, Florida, Idaho and California, private police forces armed with guns, pepper spray and dogs have been patrolling hallways, monitoring playground activity and enforcing classroom discipline, issuing fines to students and their parents and booking “offenders” of such grievous activities such as spraying perfume or talking back to a teacher of Class C misdemeanours. As a result, each year hundreds of thousands of school-age children are absorbed into the criminal justice system, their records forever tarnished, their future prospects forever diminished. The schools have become a pipeline to prison. Proponents of the system claim, quite simply, that police in schools not only improves the educational experience for students and faculty, but actually saves lives; bullies are deterred, drug dealing on campus is shut down, and incidents with firearms are, for the most part, averted. Nobody wants another Columbine. However, critics claim that the school cops go too far, that instead of dealing only with genuine criminal behaviour, they have criminalised normal childlike behaviour in cynical money-making move. Statistics regarding the income derived from the fines issued to students and parents, lawyer’s and court fees are hard to come by, but the amount is in the tens of millions of dollars. In addition, Civil Rights groups claim that children who are detained by the school resource officers (SRO) are rarely, if ever, read their Miranda rights, and as such, any proceedings should be deemed unconstitutional. A Supreme Court ruling in June 2011 partially upheld this argument. And of course there are horror stories. The good student mistakenly shot by an SRO, an SRO implicated in the drunk-driving death of a student, the handicapped student who failed to understand instructions issued by an SRO and was violently arrested. Not to mention the scores of teenagers, mostly black males, who fail to get into college due to their high school record. In this 90 minute documentary we travel across America, going behind the scenes at some of the country’s most heavily policed school campuses. We investigate why it has been deemed necessary employ such a level of force, which groups are most affected, who is getting rich off the system, and who is losing out. Finally, we look at what the consequences are for the local communities and American Society at large. Production Company Pitcher Sara Gibbins — Producer & Director 66 PADI PRODUCTIONS Consell de Cent, 383 — 08009 Barcelona — Tel. +34 935285555 padi@padiproductions.com — www.padiproductions.com 67 SPEEDY PITCH PROJECTS speedy pitch projects After The Mist ELECTRIC Pastorales Noise Roms Catalan, the Game CINETICA PRODUCCIONES — Spain Human interest — Sigfried Meir was a German Jewish child that survived two years in death camps. The camps was liberated and Siegfried was adopted by one of is Spanish friends Saturnino Navazo. Sigfried wanted to show his stepfather that it was worthy to save him, he wanted to succeed and he did. LARDUX FILMS — France Human interest — ‘Electric Pastorales’ tells modernization of the Maroccan mountains, the rural exodus of high altitude villages and electrification in parallel. In these isolated areas where people live by candlelight for centuries. The film questions the interaction between the arrival of thispower line and the people. MINIMAL FILMS — Spain Current affairs — Noise pollution is a major world problem for which we have still not raised enough global awareness. The problem is not just about health, it is also about the environment and, above all, it leads to major social stress. Why do we have this cult of the decibel? This documentary reveals the keys to the problem and analyses some possible solutions. UDOL DE LLOP MANAGEMENT — Spain Music, Interactive — The main objective is to develop a fun and accessible videogame in order to publicize a cultural documentary series. The proposal can be divided in two main points: 1) It will be a hidden object adventure where the hero must live and resolve various situations. 2) And this also includes the real Catalan story in the plot. African River Every time iT rains LES FILMS DU BALIBARI — France Human rights, Antropology — Sailors engaged in today’s merchant navy are travellers in an isolated world, cut off from our own, one of infinite oceans and inward-looking ports. The monotonous and interminable rhythm of the sea weather alternates with the intensive moments spent at dock, where the sailors will usually pay fleeting visits to particular places: the docks, the “malls” or MacDonald’s. Their personal, private life is compressed into virtual conversations with their families, which take place in the Seamen’s Clubs which welcome them in each port. This film accompanies Andreï, Michael, Wendel, aboard the AFRICAN RIVER, on their journeys from African to European shores. Taken off to sea by our globalized economy, notably absent from their family lives, how do they manage to remain grounded? BaRaERa SL — Spain On the Wings of Mantras Human interest, Nature, wild-life — A trilogy that TENGOTWO — Spain shares emotions, doubts, fears and experiences, with both scientific investigation and everyday people’s personal stories, which carries us through three environments interconnected by the change in the coastline: the descent of the water through flood creeks and canals, its path over the beaches, and into the sea itself. Arts, music, culture — ‘On the Wings of Mantras’ is a feature length music documentary exploring the rapidly growing yoga music boom. We will follow the main hrtists in this genre who focus on Sanskrit mantrqs and tour the world filling concert halls with thousands of people singing mantras togethpr to find inner peace. Jonathan Agassi Saved My Life One Man Band – The Documentary HEYMANN BROTHERS — Israel Human interest — Jonathan Agassi, a young man, is one of the most successful gay porn stars in the world. He chose his surname at random from the phone book and hasn’t looked back since. With dozens of prizes, a plump bank account and thousands of fans following him on Facebook, his life in Berlin seems a dream – the nightclubs, the steady flow of cocaine, the fancy restaurants. Standing by her son, through the means of Skype, is his mother, Anna Langer. She is an extraordinary woman that supports her son’s every move, providing him with all the love he needs. PRIMITIVE FILMS — Spain AMATI ARPA FILMS — Spain Arts, music — ‘Amati’ is a creative documentary, a love song for cello and violin instruments, the music they do, the people who plays and constructs them, to their soul, the wood and the forests. Driven by the Passacaglia, a musical theme only for these instruments, we will dance around the instrument and their soul. Let the latinos sleep WHAT’S UP PRODUCTIONS — France Human Rights, Sociology, Current affairs — We are Beyond The Velvet Curtain ALAN ROSENTHAL — Israel Art, music — A social history of opera in six parts, looking at it from an economic, cultural and social paint of view, and going from 17th century till today. It will be shot in five countries, and incidentally show excerpts and singers from the greatest opera so the past and today. 68 in Mexicali, a suffocating town in the middle of the desert, north of Mexico. Here, the US expels the “illegals” more than anywhere else on the border. The day following their expulsion, Rogelio, Jesus Alberto and Victor are starting a long walk in order to meet their families and feed their hope for a better life in an America where the political class is more and more interested in the Latinos’ demands. The Back of Beyond Arts, music, performance — Eccentric people wanting to start a band’s career without such a band appear worldwide since centuries ago, banging all kind of instruments simultaneously in any corner, showing vast knowledge in their own personal way. Pavlvs The Shipwreck 60 A.D. PAVLVS 60 AD — Malta Science, History, Educational — A Maltese diver discovers a 2000 year old ship’s anchor. This anchor is unique because of the inscriptions ISIS ~ SARAPIS embossed on it. These Egyptian gods date the anchor between the Roman and Egyptian eras. Further study reveals more underwater artefacts and which all point to a famous shipwreck in 60 A.D. EL TERRAT PRODUCCIONS — Spain ARTS, Music, Interactive — One fine day, three months after his Late-night show is cancelled, Andreu receives a letter from a fan that would change everything for him…That email makes Andreu think about why he’s dedicated his life to comedy, ehy he’s never considered leaving this profession after 30 years and most importantly, what it is about getting a laugh that is so captivating you just can’t stop doing it. All this is the starting point of a trip that will take Andreu deep into the very heart of comedy. To Fast to be Fair – (The trouble with European fast-track extradition) MEDIA 3.14 — Spain Human rigths — Over a dozen European cirizens have fallen victims of judicial mistakes caused by the turopean arrest warrant, a fast-track extradition applied since 2004. Designed to fight international crime, it creates situations in which innocent people have been jailed in deplorable conditions. This film reveals the EAW faults and the alternatives suggested by experts to do away this “fasttrack injustice”. The Interpreter INICIA FILMS — Spain ARTS, Music, Interactive — Silvia Mira is the interpreter, the person who conveys the death of a foreign person to his family and who, at the same time, tries to get them to donate the person’s organs to save other lives. She is the start point to show the reality of the Spanish Organ Donation System. 69
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