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SOUTH TYROL
M A G A Z I N E F O R F I L M P R O F E S S I O N A LS 2 0 2 0
IN FOCUS
The Secrets of Curon
INTERVIEW
DOSSIER
Tireless. Abel Ferrara on filmmaking and Siberia
Infinite Content. What a decade of upheaval means for the future of the industry
A magazine by
Issue – Year
IDM FILM FUND & COMMISSION
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TA K E #10
#IDMFILMFUNDING
The true story behind the Netflix series
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Panalight Südtirol
Viale Druso, 313/b · 39100 Bolzano (Bz) MOB. +39 366.9509059 · TEL. +39 0471 539862 panalightsudtirol@panalight.it
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www.panalight.it
distributore esclusivo per l’Italia
FOREWORD
DEAR FILMMAKERS,
South Tyrol’s Film Fund is ten years old! The stated goals when the fund was founded back in 2010 were: to make a name for South Tyrol as a film location, to build up a strong local film industry and to create outstanding production conditions. Today we can proudly say that we’ve achieved all of them! The South Tyrol Film Fund has supported 265 projects, equaling more than 3,770 shooting days, bringing film and television productions from eleven European countries to South Tyrol. We present some of them in this magazine, including Abel Ferrara’s Siberia and the Netflix production Curon. If we look back a bit further, South Tyrol has more exciting names in its filmography, ranging from Terrence Malick to Stefan Ruzowitzky. South Tyrol’s film-funding program has, first and foremost, benefited the local economy: the local spend of the funded projects equaled a little under 70 million euros over ten years, an average of 188 percent. South Tyrol’s film industry has grown rapidly, today including a wide range of service providers like production companies, equipment rentals and casting agencies, as well as many skilled workers. What makes us particularly happy is that the local production landscape itself is ever becoming more exciting, with the emergence of ambitious local
producers and a steadily growing number of international productions involving South Tyrolean production houses. Recent successes evince that our ten years of hard work on the film location has made the ground fertile. In 2019, Locarno sat up and took notice when Maura Delpero screened Maternal. Local director Nuno Escudeiro’s The Valley won the Emerging International Filmmaker Award in Toronto. And Crescendo, a co-production between the South Tyrol-based production company Filmvergnuegen and CCC Filmkunst, has been receiving excellent reviews.
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Welcome
We look forward to the next ten years to come and hope that you’ll continue to accompany us along the way.
Sincerely, Vera Leonardelli D I R E C T O R B U S I N E S S D E V E LO P M E N T I D M S Ü DT I R O L
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IMPRINT
CO N T E N T S
Shot in South Tyrol: Terrence Malick’s A Hidden Life
PUBLISHER IDM Südtirol Film Fund & Commission Via Alto Adige 60 39100 Bolzano T +39 0471 094 000 film@idm-suedtirol.com film.idm-suedtirol.com Facebook: idmfilmfunding Instagram: idmfilmfunding
Pandora Film
MAGAZINE FOR FILM P R O F E S S I O N A LS # 1 0 2020
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EXECUTIVE EDITOR Birgit Oberkofler MANAGING EDITOR Alessia De Paoli PROJECT MANAGERS Alessia De Paoli, Magdalena Zöschg CONCEPT Ex Libris www.exlibris.bz.it EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Florian Krautkrämer EDITOR, PUBLISHING MANAGER Valeria Dejaco/Ex Libris EDITORIAL DESIGN Nina Ullrich www.designnomadin.com ART DIRECTION Philipp Aukenthaler www.hypemylimbus.com TRANSLATIONS & PROOFREADING Ex Libris (Federica Romanini, Cassandra Han, Valeria Dejaco, Milena Macaluso, Charlotte Marston) PHOTOS If not credited otherwise: IDM
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O N LO C AT I O N
Three Perspectives on South
Tyrol
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NEWS
Shot in South Tyrol / Film Location / Top 5 / 3 Questions for … / Film Commission / Facts & Figures / Rising Star / New Faces
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An Outsider’s Observations: Director Nuno Escudeiro
PRODUCTION #1: SIBERIA
MARIANNA KASTLUNGER
LUKAS FOERSTER
On the Set of The Split Tongue with Caterer Paul Grüner
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PRODUCTION #2: CURON
Set Report: The True Story Behind South Tyrol’s Netflix Series STEFANO VASTANO
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ILLUSTRATIONS Oscar Diodoro (38-43), freund grafic design (49)
Telling Truths: A Portrait of Director Valentina Pedicini
P R O D U C T I O N # 3 : FA I T H
STEFANIA ULIVI
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DOSSIER
2010–2020: 10 Years of Funding Films, 10 Years of Change FLORIAN KRAUTKRÄMER
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LO C A L TA L E N T
Interview: Director Abel Ferrara on Filmmaking / Bulletin: Behind the Scenes
COVER PHOTO Loris Zambelli/Netflix
PRINTER Dialog GmbH Via A. Amonn, 29 39042 Bressanone www.dialog.bz
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SET VISIT
MARIANNA KASTLUNGER
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P R O D U C E R TA L K
Fabian Gasmia on Co-producing and his Mobile Office FLORIAN KRAUTKRÄMER
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S P OT L I G H T
Martin Rattini C LO S I N G C R E D I T S
Stefan Ruzowitzky Answers the TAKE Questionnaire / Preview of TAKE #11
E D I TO R I A L
IDM
TAKE #10
Film Fund & Commission
2020 will bring many new changes to the South Tyrol Film Fund.
You’ve probably already noticed that you’re holding in your hands a completely new TAKE. The reason? An anniversary that fills us with joy: the South Tyrol Film Fund is celebrating its tenth year of financing and supporting film productions and driving development of the film location. On this occasion, we’ve revamped TAKE entirely. The magazine will now be published twice a year and be dispersed at the most important meeting points for the German-speaking and Italian film industry: the Berlinale in February and the Venice Film Festival in August. It will further be published in three languages: German, Italian and English. This will enable us to truly optimize our role as intermediaries between the film markets in Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland and beyond. We have something special for you in this anniversary issue: a conversation with director Abel Ferrara, who recently shot his new feature Siberia in South Tyrol. TAKE met him for an interview in Rome (p. 18). Our Dossier section is about a sea change: the reshaping of the film industry over the last ten years. What does this evolution mean for our mutual work – as
a funding body, as producers, as creative professionals? Where are we heading? Florian Krautkrämer weighs in as the editor-in-chief of TAKE, starting on p. 38. New funding guidelines came into force at IDM in 2020: these include grants for short films, provided in support of up-and-coming South Tyrolean talents. For an overview of the new features, please see p. 43. Last but not least is our new website. On film.idm-suedtirol.com you will find funding information, project and location databases, and our directory of film professionals. RACCONTI Script Lab, INCONTRI Film Conference and our continuing education programs are also clearly laid out here. Take a look: maybe you’ll find inspiration for your next project.
BIRGIT OBERKOFLER Head Film Fund & Commission T +39 0471 094 277 birgit.oberkofler@idm-suedtirol.com
Enjoy reading the new edition of TAKE, and we wish you every success in 2020.
MAGDALENA ZÖSCHG PR & Film Location T +39 0471 094 254 magdalena.zoeschg@idm-suedtirol.com
RENATE RANZI Coordinator Film Location T +39 0471 094 252 renate.ranzi@idm-suedtirol.com EVA PERWANGER Film Funding T +39 0471 094 282 eva.perwanger@idm-suedtirol.com
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DEAR READER,
CONTACT IDM Südtirol Film Fund & Commission
BEATRIX DALSASS Film Funding T +39 0471 094 272 beatrix.dalsass@idm-suedtirol.com MARCELLO BEATO Film Funding T +39 0471 094 261 marcello.beato@idm-suedtirol.com ALESSIA DE PAOLI PR & Film Location T +39 0471 094 266 alessia.depaoli@idm-suedtirol.com
SOPHY PIZZININI Film Location T +39 0471 094 279 sophy.pizzinini@idm-suedtirol.com
Yours, Birgit Oberkofler H E A D F I L M F U N D & CO M M I S S I O N
LUISA GIULIANI Film Commission T +39 0471 094 294 luisa.giuliani@idm-suedtirol.com
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Maria Martus Photography
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Crescendo (2019)
Dror Zahavi
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Englar Castle, Eppan an der WeinstraÃ&#x;e
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IDM TION LO C A E O F T H2 0 1 8 YEAR
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D I R E C TO R
The Correspondence (2016)
Giuseppe Tornatore
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Florian Mohn/www.cinealp.com
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Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Brixen Campus
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The Legend of the Christmas Witch (2018) FILM
D I R E C TO R
Michele Soavi
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eppan.com/HelmuthRier
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Seeschlรถssl on Lake Montiggl, Eppan an der Weinstraร e
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NEWS
S H OT I N S O U T H T Y R O L
F I L M LO C AT I O N
A Hidden Life (2019)
RACCONTI Script Lab
S H OT I N S O U T H T Y R O L
Franz and Franziska Jägerstätter’s (August Diehl and Valerie Pachner) life is idyllic, albeit full of privation. But paradise is quickly lost, and National Socialist fanaticism encroaches upon their village, St. Radegund, too. Franz makes the life-threatening decision to resist. Terrence Malick’s A Hidden Life, which tells Jägerstätter’s true story, premiered in Cannes in 2019. It was shot in South Tyrol in 2016; locations included Kastelruth, Bruneck, Rodeneck, Franzensfeste and Feldthurns. Bruno Ganz and Michael Nyqvist were among the cast, in what would sadly become final roles for both.
Reiner Bajo
A Hidden Life
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Supernaturally Good
RACCONTI #8 participants (above), tutor Cyril Tysz (below)
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A fantasy series called Midnight Circus by Gabriel Borgetto and Helena Hofman. Welcome to Steissbach, a thriller by Sebastian Sattler and Johannes Kotzke. And the zombie story NeuZeit by Carolina Hellsgård and Olivia Vieweg. IDM’s latest RACCONTI Script Lab focused for the first time on the supernatural genre, Nicola Lusuardi explains. The screenwriter, an expert on series and lecturer to boot (Berlin’s Serial Eyes, Turin’s SeriesLab), was the program’s creative advisor in 2019. Over the course of two workshops in South Tyrol, he and other experts guided six writers through the development of their series ideas, right up to the final project pitch in March, at SERIES MANIA in Lille. “The three series are extreme genre projects, and thus intended more for the cable or streaming market than for a mass TV audience,” says Lusuardi. But that doesn’t mean that they are niche products: “The combination of arthouse film language and genre plot can amount to an innovative series quite suitable for the larger public, which does stand a chance on the market.” For the first time ever, RACCONTI #8 also included a master class in production design. The writers developed visual concepts for their series together with Ludovica Ferrario, Paolo Sorrentino’s production designer. “It was a successful experiment,” says Lusuardi. “Series development should not be limited to story, but also consider aesthetic. After all, the end product encompasses images, sounds and moods. For me, this is the mindset of a good showrunner.” There will be a RACCONTI edition in 2020, with more new features. For information visit: film.idm-suedtirol.com
NEWS
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Films for Kids and Teens #shotinsouthtyrol TO P 5
Children’s Films FILM
Sprite Sisters (2020) Sven Unterwaldt PRODUCER blue eyes Fiction (DE), Dor Film (AT), Filmvergnuegen (IT) LOCATION Meran Municipal Theatre STORY The film is based on the bestselling book series Sprite Sisters about four sisters – Flame, Marina, Flora and Sky (Laila Padotzke, Hedda Erlebach, Lilith Julie Johna, Leonore von Berg) – who have magical powers.
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The Legend of the Christmas Witch (2018) Michele Soavi PRODUCER Lucky Red (IT) LOCATIONS Lake Montiggl, Eppan, Seiser Alm, Kastelruth, Kaltern, Meran STORY Paola (Paola Cortellesi), an ordinary schoolteacher, turns into the legendary Italian witch Befana at night and brings gifts to well-behaved children. When she is suddenly kidnapped, her students investigate.
Ötzi and the Mystery of Time (2018) Gabriele Pignotta PRODUCER One More Pictures (IT), Rai Cinema (IT) LOCATIONS Museum of Archeology (Bolzano), Wolfsgruben Lake (Ritten) STORY What happens when Ötzi the Iceman (Michael Smiley) suddenly finds himself in our modern world? He sets off on a journey of discovery with eleven-year-old Kip (Diego Delpiano). Giffoni Award – Best Film (2018) DIRECTOR
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Help, I Shrunk My Friends (2020) Granz Henman PRODUCER blue eyes Fiction (DE), Karibufilm (DE), Filmvergnuegen (IT), Minifilm (AT) LOCATION Johanneum seminary (Dorf Tirol) STORY Felix (Oskar Keymer) falls in love with Melanie, his new classmate. His friends aren’t happy about it so during a school trip, he shrinks them with magic. Parts of the VFX work were done by Meran-based Cine Chromatix Italy. DIRECTOR
blue eyes fiction/P. Domenigg
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blue eyes/M. Nagel
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Mountain Miracle: An Unexpected Friendship (2017) Tobias Wiemann PRODUCER Lieblingsfilm (DE), Helios sustainable films (IT) LOCATIONS Hotel Salegg (Seis am Schlern), Reinbach Falls (Sand in Taufers), Rafenstein Castle (Jenesien) STORY Berliner Amelie (Mia Kasalo) is sent to a special clinic in South Tyrol to help cure her asthma. She hates it there and runs away, striking up a friendship with country boy Bart (Samuel Girardi). German Film Award – Outstanding Children or Youth Film (2018)
M. Rattini
DIRECTOR
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NEWS
THREE QUESTIONS FOR…
F I L M CO M M I S S I O N
Dirk Schürhoff
PLACES #8 Location Tour
THREE QUESTIONS FOR…
IDM/D. Grotta
Dirk Schürhoff, CEO of Beta Cinema
At South Tyrol’s 2019 INCONTRI Film Conference, Dirk Schürhoff spoke about changes created by the increasingly important streaming platforms during a panel discussion entitled “We’ve Got New Rules: The Future of Film Distribution.” We asked him more about it for TAKE. The whole industry is abuzz about far-reaching changes. What challenges are producers facing, especially as regards world sales and feature distribution? DS Distributors of art-house films around the globe have become more cautious in the past two or three years. Due to streaming platforms, among other factors, the cinema is no longer the natural place to watch films.
IDM/A. Grassi
How can producers respond to these new audience habits from the standpoint of exploitation? DS Cinema must be more than a venue. It must become a meeting place for the interested audience. Now you must offer an extraordinary audience experience, and emotions are critical. The Italian distributor Nexo Digital, for example, has been successful with three-day-long event releases: films are shown in theaters for a very short time, along with intense marketing activities. This extremely short release window is something that could also work for Netflix cinema releases. In Germany right now, System Crasher is illustrating what can be accomplished in terms of making a release topical if you have a strong film in addition to a topnotch strategy for distribution and cinematic release.
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Where do you see the greatest potential, for your production company? DS In addition to our core business, art-house films, we are very attracted to animation right now. But we’re also finding it exciting to focus more on the Eastern European market, especially Russia.
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DIRK SCHÜRHOFF is the CEO of Beta Cinema, one of Germany’s most important global world-sales companies. For more about cinema and streaming, please see: TAKE Dossier, p. 38.
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LO C AT I O N S I N T H E N O R T H
The roaring waterfalls of Gilfenklamm, a marble gorge in Ratschings. The tunnels of Ridnaun’s ancient silver mine. Wolfsthurn, a baroque hunting lodge with 365 windows, 52 doors, twelve chimneys and four portals. The modern production halls of Leitner ropeways, South Tyrol’s cable-car manufacturer. And, of course, the picturesque town of Sterzing. This is just a fraction of the wide array of potential locations in northern South Tyrol. These amazing locations were stops on IDM’s three-day PLACES #8 Location Tour. The tour inspired its participants, Italian and international producers and directors with specific projects, and as always proved a great opportunity to network. Information about future location tours: film.idm-suedtirol.com
NEWS
FA C T S & F I G U R E S
R I S I N G S TA R
265 projects funded
Maternal (2019)
FA C T S & F I G U R E S
33 22 | 11
265
… is the number of film and television productions funded by South Tyrol’s Film Fund (IDM) since it was founded ten years ago. Of these, 67 projects received funding for production preparation – i.e. development funding – and 198 projects received production funding.
34 25 | 9
30 23 | 7
26 21 | 5
22 17 | 5
25 20 | 5
28 22 | 6
33 23 | 10
27 18 | 9
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R I S I N G S TA R
The Female Gaze
Dispàrte/Vivo film
Caterina Sansone
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Maura Delpero’s Maternal has been a hit on the festival circuit.
“The female viewpoint has been absent for a long time. Female voices have been silenced. We women thus found our cinematic home in documentary films – where power is not what counts, but rather freedom,” said Maura Delpero in a 2019 TAKE #9 interview. The director from Bolzano/Bozen nonetheless ventured into narrative features with Maternal (Hogar)… and landed a festival hit. Maternal received Special Mentions in the official competition of the Locarno Film Festival and at the Reykjavik International Film Festival (RIFF). Previously, the project had won the TFL Audience Design Fund at the Torino Film Lab and the Audience Award at Annecy Cinéma. Other festival nominations include the BFI London Film Festival, Filmfest Hamburg, the Chicago International Film Festival and the Mar del Plata International Film Festival in Argentina. Maternal – written, acted and filmed entirely by women – tells the story of two teenage mothers, Lu and Fati, whose fates cross with that of the Italian nun Paola in a Buenos Aires home for girls. The film is a co-production between dispàrte, Vivo film and Campo Cine, in association with Rai Cinema. Funded by IDM Südtirol.
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NEWS
N E W FA C E S
Multifaceted actor: Thomas Prenn made a splash in Tatort (right); most recently, he played the lead role in Hochwald (below).
N E W FA C E S
Thomas Prenn Thomas Prenn has been very much in demand since he received the Studio Hamburg Young Talent Award for his mentally ill, titular character Damian in Tatort, a long-running German police procedural, in 2018. The South Tyrolean actor engaged every fiber of his body in portraying Damian’s oppressive fragility. Thomas is also well-rounded: he was a permanent member of the Karlsruhe Staatstheater, and recently played Claudio in Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. “In a way, drama suits me more than comedy, though, because of its inherent variety,” Prenn says. But he’s also enjoying the series boom, which the soon-to-be-26-year-old sees as a “great opportunity for young actors.” In 2019, he appeared in Sky Germany’s mini-series 8 Days; in 2020, he’ll be seen on Netflix in Biohackers. Also in 2020, he returned to the Tatort crime drama – this time in Cologne, as a student named Paul in Kein Mitleid, keine Gnade. What about the big screen? That’s also part of the repertoire of the young actor, who is represented by the Players agency in Berlin: he just wrapped the lead role in South Tyrolean director Evi Romen’s feature Hochwald. Prenn’s first on-screen experience, even before enrolling at Ernst Busch Drama School, was starring in the war drama Tears of the Sexten Dolomites. “Shooting in the snow, under extreme conditions, was very demanding physically. But it was very good preparation for me,” he says. Before that, he really had no idea what acting meant. “Cinema is my absolute favorite place,” both professionally and personally. “In film, you experience things on a more conscious level.”
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Amour Fou
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Puria Safary
Thomas Prenn
FILMOGRAPHY 2020: Hochwald feature film 2020: Tatort: Kein Mitleid, keine Gnade TV movie 2020: Biohackers streaming series 2019: 8 Days TV series 2018: Tatort: Damian TV movie 2017: Der namenlose Tag TV movie
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NATURE IS OUR FILMSET CONTACT US: SCHNALSTAL.IT/SENALES.IT CREDIT & © : PATRICK STEGER - VIDEOMETRIXS.COM
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LO P RR OEDM U CI P TS I OUNM # 1
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“You have to take on the battle!” Abel Ferrara on filmmaking
Interview by
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A tireless American now working as a European auteur. In December, TAKE caught up with Abel Ferrara in Rome.
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PRODUCTION #1
FILM
D I R E C TO R
Siberia (2020)
Abel Ferrara
He made his name making films about New York’s dark underbelly such as Ms. 45 (1981) and Bad Lieutenant (1992). But these days, Abel Ferrara lives in Rome. The tireless force in American independent film has now become a tireless force in European auteur cinema. He recently shot his latest film Siberia, funded by the IDM Film Fund, in South Tyrol with his favorite actor: Willem Dafoe. Siberia will premiere in competition at the 2020 Berlinale. We met up near his apartment, at a café on Via Merulana, for a chat about his career.
Let’s start right here, in the neighborhood of Esquilino. This is your new home. How did that come to be? ABEL FERRARA I’m of Italian-American descent and was raised in a very Italian culture. We’ve always had one foot in Europe, and people here appreciate my films. In a way, they are Eurocentric films; my influences are from Europe more than anywhere else. At some point, I started working in Italy: first Mary (2005) and then Go Go Tales (2007) as well as documentaries like Napoli, Napoli, Napoli (2009). I met my wife Cristina in 2014, while we were shooting Pasolini. She got pregnant, and then... you kind of end up where you fall in love, that’s it. So now I’m here. I’ve been living in Rome for five years. Some of your new films, Piazza Vittorio (2017) for example, were made right here on your doorstep with practically no money. Is this a return to your roots as a filmmaker? AF Yeah, sure, that’s what it was. I was sixteen, got a camera and just went out to shoot. Of course, you need some capital to shoot, whether it’s a hundred dollars or 20 million. At some point you have to convince someone of your film – even if it’s just your mother. Actually, your mother might be the hardest person to persuade. TAKE
ABEL FERRARA The director and screenwriter was born in 1951 in New York. In the 1980s, he established himself with exploitation films. His later works include Bad Lieutenant (1992), The Funeral (1996), Mary (2005, Venice Film Festival, Special Jury Prize) and Pasolini (2014). On Siberia, he worked with actor Willem Dafoe for the fifth time. Ferrara lives in Rome.
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Vivo film / Rai Cinema / maze pictures / Piano
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PRODUCTION #1
“There was no video or streaming. We couldn’t compete with Hollywood’s power and money. So we did what Hollywood couldn’t do: sex and violence.”
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FILM
D I R E C TO R
Siberia (2020)
Abel Ferrara
PRODUCTION
Maybe because your first commercial releases were pornographic and exploitation films. AF Well, at some point you have to leave university. We made art films at school, but you have to support yourself. Porn was the quickest way to get into the business. We were impatient. We saw what the deal was and could shoot on 35mm. So, in 1976 we made a porno: 9 Lives of a Wet Pussy. It was similar with the next two movies: Driller Killer (1979) and Ms. 45 (1981). We were dependent on the market: ultra-violent films like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Tobe Hooper, 1974) made loads of money, but Hollywood couldn’t make that stuff. Your 2019 documentary The Projectionist deals with that same period. AF Yes, exactly. People still went to the movies back then. There was no video, let alone streaming, no computers – it was even before IBM. We couldn’t compete with Hollywood movies and Hollywood stars so we did what they couldn’t do: sex and violence.
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Vivo film / Rai Cinema / maze pictures / Piano
Your budgets got bigger after Ms. 45, though. For a while we tried to raise money for New York independent films. But that kind of business was still ten years away. At that time, there was no indie film scene in New York; you just couldn’t finance and distribute on your own. That was around 1980, so we were still struggling. And then, we just lucked into a gig. A film we were gonna shoot with a small budget in New York, Fear City, very suddenly became a Hollywood movie with Hollywood stars like Tom Berenger and Hollywood producers. That gave rise to new possibilities. I went out to LA, met a lot of new people and went on to direct television.
AF
Your last studio film was Body Snatchers in 1993. A great film – but I read that it wasn’t really a good experience for you. AF Well, you know, it was fine. Because I had one foot in both worlds at that time. We shot Bad Lieutenant at the
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Siberia (2020)
Abel Ferrara
“You kind of end up where you fall in love.” Abel Ferrara with his wife, actress Cristina Chiriac, and their daughter Anna in Rome.
Many people still consider you a New York filmmaker. What is your relationship to the city today? Has your viewpoint changed since you started living in Europe? AF When I think of New York, I think of Manhattan. I was born in the Bronx, but I spent my adult life in Manhattan. And I just don’t see it anymore. To me it’s gone. It’s ludicrous. In New York, this espresso here would cost five bucks. That bottle of San Pellegrino would cost twelve. I’m not buying into it. And that’s just the beginning, never mind rent, this and that. In New York now, everyone is grinding so hard. They have no choice. They love that they’re in New York, but is it worth it? It’s not ancient Egypt and everybody is building the pyramids. Maybe there’s one Cleopatra, but otherwise there are 15 million people working themselves to death.
same time as Body Snatchers. So that’s cool, and we’re doing the same thing now. We shot Siberia with a bigger budget and went all around the world with it; at the same time, we shot Tommaso here in my apartment. Body Snatchers was an interesting experience. I mean, it’s a battle. You take money from people, and the more you take, the more people think they have the right to tell you how to make the movie. You gotta stick to your guns and take on the battle. Was it also artistic freedom that drove you to work in Europe more? AF Yes, that was part of the reason I left New York. Only in America is there something like the “director’s” cut. In Europe, the cut is the director’s cut. Here, this is a tradition, a culture, a part of the history of art.
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You only began making documentaries in 2008. But now they’re a major part of your body of work. Do you approach those projects differently to narrative features? AF Not really. It’s all filmmaking. It’s the same, only that it’s a bit freer. There’s no script. You shoot lighter and faster. It has a different groove. But in the end, you’ve got to make shots and you’ve got to make a film. Did you see Tommaso? It’s practically a documentary. It’s like 4:44 Last Day on Earth (2011) set here in Piazza Vittorio. You shot your new film Siberia in South Tyrol. How was that? AF My favorite part of filmmaking is that no matter where you go, it’s like being in another country. I mean, South Tyrol is about as far away from Rome as Mars. But it is beautiful. We needed this Siberian kind of thing and we got it. Winter was cold, snowy, wild. A great experience.
PRODUCTION
Vivo film / Rai Cinema / maze pictures / Piano
Whether your films are shot in the Bronx or in the mountains, one thing that astonishes me is that they appear to be cast out of the same mold, even though they were all created under such different conditions. Almost like one single film. AF Yeah, in a way they are the same film. I mean, I’ve been the same filmmaker, the same person, for 45 years. Of course, there’d better be some change too. Hopefully we’re getting somewhere.
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One thing that might have changed: you used to be a Catholic and now you’re a Buddhist. AF Well, when you come to a certain point with Catholicism it just kind of naturally leads to Buddhism. The way I see it, Jesus was a Buddhist. And if it’s good enough for Jesus, it’s T # 10 good enough for me.
On the streets: for his photo shoot, Ferrara preferred his Roman neighborhood of Esquilino to a hotel.
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PRODUCTION #1
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Siberia (2020)
Abel Ferrara
Great teamwork, and lots of snow: a closer look at the Siberia set Behind the scenes At first glance, Siberia may seem to be a film with a well-defined setting. But actually, it’s not: “The geography of the film is mainly internal. It tells the story of a man in search of himself, of his own memory,” says Marta Donzelli, the producer who runs Vivo film together with Gregorio Paonessa. In addition to the Roman production house, the production team of Abel Ferrara’s new feature is composed of Philipp Kreuzer’s maze pictures in Germany, Julio Chavezmontes’s Piano in Mexico and Diana Phillips (Rimsky Productions), who had worked with Ferrara back in the New York days, following project development from the outset. The first challenge: funding the film, which had a budget of around 4.5 million euros. The first step in the right direction was the support of IDM, South Tyrol’s Film Fund; Rai Cinema followed soon after with their financing. “We are particularly grateful to IDM for being the first to believe in the project,” says Donzelli. SOLITUDE FOUND
The decision to shoot in South Tyrol also solved the need to shoot in a landscape that was snowy and extremely isolated in March – when the lead actor Willem Dafoe was available. “To us, it seemed that South Tyrol offered a wealth of possibilities from that point of view,” says Gregorio Paonessa. Filming took place mainly at an isolated mountain hut in the Pusteria Valley, identified by the Meran/Merano-based location scout Florian Mohn. “The choice of location proved to be an absolutely happy one,” Paonessa says, adding, “Indeed, we found too much snow!” That was something that brought along a whole host of difficulties, including reaching the hut along a road usually unusable in the winter months. These obstacles were overcome thanks to local firms: among them, Giafatto Entertainment, a budding production company founded by Philipp Moravetz and Lynn Inglese, both from Bolzano. They took care of organizing the
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special transport necessary to reach the high-altitude locations, as well as relationships with the locals. A B LO S S O M I N G PA R T N E R S H I P
The partnership between Giafatto and Vivo film goes deeper than this one film, though: the well-established Roman production house is mentoring the new South Tyrolean company. IDM initiated the coaching in order to support Giafatto in its business development. “But it’s been our intense collaboration on the set of Siberia that has allowed us to establish a relationship of mutual trust and understanding with Marta and Gregorio,” comments Philipp Moravetz. “This has further deepened the experience of mentoring for us and has been extremely helpful. Seeing how a production company of Vivo film’s caliber functions up close has given us numerous ideas for growth.” In addition to Giafatto, the producers of Siberia relied on other local professionals, such as electricians, grips and several other roles. “In South Tyrol we had the certainty of being able to work with excellent crew members: our expectation of finding a high level of professionalism locally was satisfied once again,” says Gregorio Paonessa. The producer also found his company’s first collaboration with Abel Ferrara very stimulating: “It was exciting to put ourselves at the service of such a complex and ambitious project, with a performer like Dafoe and a legend of contemporary international cinema directing.” With Siberia, the aforementioned legend has chosen to tell a story that focuses around a very strong relationship with nature, an absolute novelty within the cinematography of the Italian-American director. “Finding the most suitable way to achieve Abel’s vision required a gradual effort by the whole team,” reveals Marta Donzelli. “And finding the right way to tell this story was the true adventure.” T # 10
SIBERIA by Abel Ferrara celebrates its world premiere at the 70th Berlinale. The script for the drama was written by Ferrara and Chris Zois, inspired by Carl Jung’s dream study “The Red Book”, among others. In addition to leading actor Willem Dafoe, the cast consists of Dounia Sichov, Simon McBurney and Cristina Chiriac. The film is a co-production of Vivo film with Rai Cinema, maze pictures and Piano. World distribution: The Match Factory. Besides the main location, a mountain hut in the Pustertal Valley, the film was shot at various other locations in South Tyrol, including a World War II bunker in Bolzano and an abandoned military barracks. IDM South Tyrol funded the project with 500,000 euros (production funding).
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PRODUCTION #2
SERIES
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Curon (2020)
F. Mollo & L. Patitucci
“Every town has a secret hidden beneath the surface.”
Indiana shot Netflix’s Curon in South Tyrol
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A church tower juts threateningly out of the dark water of a mountain lake. The camera grazes the surface of the water, seemingly yearning to dive into it. But what’s down there, hidden underwater, will become clear only at the end. The Curon teaser makes clear that the new Italian Netflix Originals production has one distinct protagonist: the location. For seventy years the South Tyrolean village of Curon, the German name of which is Graun, has been shaped by a real-life story: an entire village devoured, submerged under the waters of Lake Resia.
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E. Abbate, G. Galassi, I. Fachin, T. Matano
Indiana Production / Netflix
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With a true story behind the series, the supernatural drama will undoubtedly invite binge-watching.
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PRODUCTION #2
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Curon (2020)
F. Mollo & L. Patitucci
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In addition to a truly unique location, Netflix relied on collaboration with the Italian company Indiana Production and two young directing talents: Fabio Mollo, whose filmography includes two features, and Lyda Patitucci, who has made a name for herself as a second unit director on numerous projects. Together, but in different styles, the directing duo tells a complex story about a return. A return to a small village, a coming home to the mountains. A rediscovery of lost, or perhaps repressed, parts of oneself. Because of its intricate supernatural drama plot, the series will surely be ripe for binge-watching all seven episodes. But it was also important to the producers that the young directing team was given creative freedom, so as not to be restricted by the genre. HIDDEN TRUTHS
02 Valeria Bilello (01) plays the main role, Anna; one of the fresh faces is Margherita Morchio as Daria, pictured here (02) with Federico Russo as Mauro.
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“Fabio and I are very different, both in style and as people. But we complemented each other perfectly,” says Lyda Patitucci. “We do play with various genres in the various episodes but were always mindful about staying true to the heart of the story.” The central theme is “the reappearance of something hidden, submerged, which sweeps the protagonists away,” explains Fabio Mollo. “It’s a fitting metaphor for this place, this lake, which becomes more and more enigmatic the closer you come to it.” Closely linked to this mysterious lake is the mystery of Anna’s sudden disappearance. Played by Valeria Bilello, Anna has teenage twins, Mauro and Daria, who go in search of their mother. Over the course of the series, Netflix viewers around the world will not only uncover a long-held family secret, but also learn the true history of this place: Lake Resia, located in the Italian Alps. On its banks lies the very real, new village of Curon. Under its waters: submerged memories. The story, the real one which inspired the series that is, goes as follows: In the year 1950, with virtually no advance warning to the inhabitants, the village of Curon was torn down and flooded by the Montecatini Company in order to build a dam, thereby creating the reservoir known today as Lake Resia, or Reschensee in German. From one day to the next, an entire village lost everything: houses, fields, even the graves in the village cemetery. Today the only remaining vestige of the original village is the bell tower of Saint Catherine, which emerges from the water like an exclamation point of recollection, with mullioned windows that date back to 1345 and bells that, according to legend, continue to toll on certain nights… even though they were removed long ago.
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PRODUCTION
E. Abbate, G. Galassi, I. Fachin, T. Matano
Indiana Production / Netflix
Today tourists love the bell tower, and local kids kitesurf on the lake. But the stories told by the older villagers (as in the 2018 documentary The Sunken Village by Georg Lembergh) echo the pain and bereavement of an entire generation. The perfect backdrop, replete with drama and legends, for Curon.
Curon is Italy’s first supernatural series – and was challenging for the directors and production alike.
“A series like this had never been made before in Italy,” Fabio Mollo explains. “And it becomes a lot more stimulating for a director to not have a marked path to follow. To have everything open to invention.” It’s also one thing to make films for an Italian audience, says the director, but quite another thing to make a series “for a giant like Netflix, as well as for a truly global audience.” The director also found the format inspiring. “The cinematic language of a series,” he continues, “is something that intrigues me a lot, as a viewer and as a storyteller. It’s a close relative of the novel, in that its length allows for multiple storylines and because you can really dig down into the characters in a profound way.” Mollo’s films – Il sud è niente (South Is Nothing), There Is A Light: Il padre d’Italia, for example – are similar in that intimate human relationships take center stage. The two young directors aren’t the only ones who found working with Netflix stimulating: Curon was also illuminating for its producers. “Collaborating with them taught us a lot,” says Fabrizio Donvito, one of Indiana’s founders and the company’s CEO. “The way they work as a team, at all levels of production, has been exciting.” Having recently produced Sono solo fantasmi, a horror-comedy by Christian De Sica, and collaborated on The Burnt Orange Heresy, a thriller by Giuseppe Capotondi, the producers also agree about enhanced genre: “The mix of narrative genres is an essential factor for Curon. And good for creativity in general,” says Daniel Pavoncelli, Head of Film & TV at the Milanese production company.
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A MASTERCLASS FROM NETFLIX
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PRODUCTION #2
SERIES
D I R E C TO R S
Curon (2020)
F. Mollo & L. Patitucci
“Curon was inspired,” continues Pavoncelli, “by the location, first and foremost. IDM Film Fund and Commission helped us a lot: they pointed out locations, connected us to local film professionals and came to our assistance when we faced really difficult weather conditions.” Dense, unexpected November snowfall, for example. It’s not easy to shoot when temperatures plunge to minus 15. “We thought we were prepared for the cold and for shooting a series in the Alps,” confides Fabio Mollo. “But we were taken aback by the power of nature. Curon forced us to push as deeply into the landscape as possible. All of the locations were very real-world, and we tried our utmost to capture the authenticity of the place, down to the most minute detail.” This added value of having shot exteriors so intensely will imbue the series with an almost aching beauty. “The story of Curon,” adds Lyda Patitucci, “benefits from South Tyrol’s potential, still little seen on screen as of yet. It’s exceptional.” The director refers not only to the place but also to the locals, most of whom are mountain folks as well as German speakers – and thus, in a way, the polar opposite of Romans. “They are incredible people, quite reserved, and at first can seem a bit gruff,” she explains, “but then they open up, little by little, and their sweetness comes out.” M OT H E R N AT U R E TA K E S C E N T E R S TA G E
The series is set in the village of Curon (called Graun in German), and its real history was the inspiration for the story.
CURON is a seven-episode Netflix Originals series, produced by Indiana Production and directed by Fabio Mollo and Lyda Patitucci. The screenwriting team comprises head writer Ezio Abbate (Suburra), Giovanni Galassi, Ivano Fachin and Tommaso Matano. The shoot took place mainly in South Tyrol, with the participation of local film professionals and crew members. Indiana was granted 350,000 euros in production funding by IDM.
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Conversely, Margherita Morchio, a very young actress whom we will see as Daria in the series, is gentle and shy only at first glance: “She’s an exceptionally talented actress. Fearless,” says Patitucci. Meanwhile Valeria Bilello brings a wealth of experience to the role of Anna. “Valeria is a very intelligent woman,” continues the director, “and I’ve been happy to have worked so much with her. She has a remarkable presence in my episodes.” The cast – assembled through a collaboration between the Gabriella Giannattasio office in Rome and American casting director Cassandra Han, who is based in South Tyrol – also includes Luca Lionello, Federico Russo, Anna Ferzetti, Alessandro Tedeschi, Juju Di Domenico, Giulio Brizzi, Max Malatesta and Luca Castellano. But in Patitucci’s episodes that close the series, it’s Mother Nature that really steals the show. “My episodes,” says the director, “are even more disconnected from civilization, closer to the woods, lakes and mountains.” And then she reveals: “One morning, before we started shooting, I was alone in the woods. And suddenly a whole family of deer surprised me. It was beautiful. I T # 10 interpreted it as an auspicious sign for the series.”
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PRODUCTION #3
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Faith (2020)
Valentina Pedicini
Stemal Entertainment
“Our gaze is never neutral. Choosing whose story to tell is an ethical decision, in and of itself.” Valentina Pedicini, director
VALENTINA PEDICINI born 1978 in Brindisi, studied philology and linguistics before earning her directing degree from the ZeLIG School for Documentary, Television and New Media in Bolzano. After My Marlboro City, Mio sovversivo amore and Pater Noster, she directed her first feature, Dal Profondo (2013). Her debut fiction film came in 2017: Where Shadows Fall.
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Accept limits and constraints in order to give space to stories that would otherwise remain hidden. Abandon color to gain light. Turn off the camera, so as to turn it on again at precisely the right moment. Faith is the title of Apulian director Valentina Pedicini’s latest work: a new cinema-of-reality documentary following her fiction debut Where Shadows Fall, which was screened at the 2017 Venice Days. Faith is an “immersive” documentary about a very tight community, a radical cult that mixes kung fu, Shaolin influences, extreme training and Christian rituals, all under the iron-willed and undisputed guidance of a Master. It’s a fascinating, disturbing film that envelopes the viewer in unanswered questions; first and foremost: What are you willing to give up for dogma?. The film also confirms Valentina Pedicini’s faith in the ability of cinema to transmit the spoken and the unspoken. “I had always dreamed of being a director. But I got there late, having studied Romance philology and linguistics in Rome,” she says. “At the age of thirty, I gathered the courage to apply to the ZeLIG School. I came to understand that cinema can give a voice to those who have none. And in the end, it also helped me find my own voice and gain self-knowledge.” It also made Pedicini known to the world. Her documentary Dal Profondo won the Solinas Prize in 2013, earning a Nastro d’Argento Special Mention and nominations for five David di Donatello awards. The Donatella Palermo-produced Faith was screened in competition at the International Documentary Film Festival in Amsterdam and at the Berlin Critics’ Week, and has won over international critics. “My experience has been a happy one. I didn’t encounter too many hurdles even as a woman, and attending an international school helped me,” says Pedicini. “But I do feel like I was an exception: for women directors in Italy, the situation is truly desperate. There are still too many prejudices, and a lot of misgivings about entrusting a film crew to a woman.” She says that her school years in Bolzano were fundamental. “ZeLIG was a unique experience. I met the people I work with today there.” The genesis of Faith also came out of ZeLIG. It all started with a short film, Pater Noster, which she’d shot eleven years ago. “I’d first met the monks at a martial arts gym, when they were still living in Bolzano. I was particularly interested in Laura, a kung-fu
TA K E #10
Valentina Pedicini started in film at the age of 30. “I realized cinema was a way to let my voice be heard.�
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FILM
D I R E C TO R
Faith (2020)
Valentina Pedicini
Stemal Entertainment
PRODUCTION #3
Constrained bodies, restricted spaces: Faith is an unsettling film about a sect closed off from the world.
champion. And then I stumbled upon a larger story.” A story of faith and blind trust. Of devotion, on the edge of martyrdom. “I have to be honest. I wasn’t ready back then. Ethically or professionally.” Many years later, she made the decision to pick up the threads again. “It’s a subject that takes up themes very close to my heart: constrained bodies, restricted spaces, a regime of exclusion from the world, threatened identities.” Four months of shooting at the monastery, in the hills of the Marche region, with just her director of photography, Bastian Esser, a sound engineer and an assistant cameraman. Shooting in black and white. Pedicini recalls how extremely difficult the work was, fraught with pitfalls and contradictions. “The really tricky thing was finding a balance between my empathy and my obligation not to hide the truth that faced me, no matter how unpleasant it might seem. Images are powerful weapons. Every time we turned on the camera, we questioned.” Documentary filmmaking, or as Pedicini terms it “the practice of documenting,” has its own syntax. Once the subject matter has been chosen – itself a complex, revealing process – “becoming invisible is the way to seek the truth in an ethical way, without judgments and prejudices,” Pedicini
FAITH The documentary was presented at the 2019 IDFA and the 2020 Berlin Critics’ Week, and reunites with the protagonists of Pedicini’s short film, Pater Noster (2008). The kung-fu master has meanwhile founded the Warriors of Light Monastery, which falls somewhere between kung fu and Christian devotion. About twenty followers, warrior monks and guardian mothers relentlessly train in almost complete seclusion. Producer: Stemal Entertainment, with Rai Cinema. IDM South Tyrol production financing: 109,000 euros.
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expounds. But: “Our gaze is never neutral. Choosing whose story to tell is an ethical decision, in and of itself.” An invisible gaze. But not one that cancels out a point of view. Pedicini’s decision to dedicate her film to two children in the community who are growing up removed from the world reveals much about her. “They were a lifeline. Dedicating the film to them reveals love, and great hope for liberation.” Another name among the acknowledgments is Gianfranco Rosi. “He is a point of reference for me, having trailblazed a particular way of making documentary films in Italy. The awards that Sacro Gra and Fire at Sea won evinced that documentaries are not a sub-genre of cinema, but a different practice entirely.” In Pedicini’s case, this has fed a synergy with her narrative work. “I couldn’t have done Faith without going through Where Shadows Fall which, in turn, came from a real-life story. Documentary filmmaking forces you to engage your whole body, to get your hands dirty.” The next step for Pedicini? Perhaps a whole new plot. “A new story has arrived. I’m in the process of falling in love, and I’d like to make a fiction film using documentary practice. And maybe, this time, I’ll be able to shoot outT # 10 doors.”
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www.cinealp.com
DOSSIER
2010–2020
10 Years of Funding Films, 10 Years of Change
The Age of Change. How the past decade has turned the film industry on its head, and what that means for European producers, film grants and creatives 10 Years of Funding Films, 10 Years of Change
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OSCAR DIODORO
DEAR READER,
In recent years, I’ve seen a shift in the discussion at film festivals and industry events: discourse is no longer just about financing projects. More and more people are also debating structure, gender issues, #MeToo (see TAKE #9) and sustainable production (a focus of our next issue, by the way). The fundamental issue is change – and it’s driving the industry. Production, utilization, technology and standard practice: everything is in flux. At a festival last year, a producer who has been successfully mounting European co-productions for arthouse audiences for more than 20 years told me that he would produce five more films. And then retire. Not because the projects aren’t interesting or because he feels too old.
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But because he no longer understands his audience. Over the past decade, shifts in the industry have been seismic, and the ripple effects far-reaching. Yet at the same time, there is undeniably a gold-rush atmosphere: between the streaming platforms and other new projects aimed at keeping up with them, producers’ dance cards are full to bursting. What’s behind this Age of Change? And what does it mean for European film production and funding – at a regional level as well? We discussed this with South Tyrol’s IDM Film Fund & Commission on the occasion of its tenth anniversary, as well as with producers and media experts. Florian Krautkrämer TAKE #10 Editor-in-Chief
2010–2020
10 Years of Funding Films, 10 Years of Change
TA K E #10
DOSSIER
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DOSSIER
2010–2020
10 Years of Funding Films, 10 Years of Change
2010–2020. Infinite Content. Never before have consumers been able to choose from so many films and series with such ease as in 2020. Between the media libraries of television broadcasters, the full-to-overflowing content catalogues of the streaming platforms and the DVD market, which is still relevant in Europe, a whole pile of goodies is now being served up to audiences on a silver platter, and right inside their own homes. At the same time, this development is not necessarily at the expense of the cinema: even if the number of releases has decreased slightly, the number of screens in Germany, for example, has been on the rise again for a few years now. And 2019 was significantly better for cinema operators in Italy than the previous two years had been, according to Francesco Rutelli, president of the industry organization ANICA. One possible reason is the “Moviement” program, created in order to fill theaters during the traditionally tepid summer months. This is satisfying not only for audiences, but also for actors and film professionals across the spectrum: the increasing demand for content ensures sufficient work. However, increased supply in certain areas also means the crowding out of others. Ambitious, festival-winning arthouse films, in particular, must work harder and harder to get audiences into the cinema – the venue that still functions as the most important utilization platform for this segment. Distributors are growing more cautious
because that which worked well for a very long time no longer automatically finds an audience. ( 3 Questions for Dirk Schürhoff of Beta Cinema, p. 14) In the Age of Transformation, interesting times has already become an empty phrase. But it certainly describes the situation well when it comes to film funding. It’s no longer just a question of financing. Funding bodies actively shape upcoming challenges as the result of structural positioning: they now field discussions about quotas and about requirements for ecologically sustainable production, and conduct heated debates about whether, and how, one can fund series – whether one’s own or American ones. MAY YOU LIVE IN INTERESTING TIMES
Regional film funds – in contrast to the larger funding bodies, which are usually better endowed – are often more closely tied to filmmakers and the local film industry. So they are usually perceived as playing a role that goes beyond supplying grants. In addition, they tend to be able to react more quickly and flexibly to new dynamics. When Birgit Oberkofler took responsibility in 2017 for South Tyrol’s IDM Film Fund, together with Renate Ranzi, the goal was to further develop the film location: “Regional funds are primarily economic in nature, because they are intended to strengthen the location,” said Oberkofler, who became the sole director of the fund in 2019.
“Funding bodies should be dependable partners to producers, helping them respond to challenges in a timely, flexible manner,” says Birgit Oberkofler, the head of the South Tyrol Film Fund.
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DOSSIER
2010–2020
10 Years of Funding Films, 10 Years of Change
When selecting projects and setting up supplementary activities, the main thing is to ensure that they benefit the local industry. And that means not only the creative departments, but all the others – from technicians to location scouts to catering. ( Set Visit with a Catering Professional, p. 46) “At the same time, we must continue to choose high-quality productions for funding, in order to anchor the region as an important location within the European and global film landscape in the long term,” says the head of the fund. Fabian Gasmia, who co-produces internationally, believes that prestige projects screened at world-renowned festivals can be an important way of drawing attention to smaller locations such as South Tyrol: “You do need those lighthouse projects that show the whole world what can be done in South Tyrol and what it looks like.” ( Producer Talk with Fabian Gasmia, p. 48) So how can film funds react to a changing production landscape and increasing differentiation of supply and demand? With a reliable infrastructure, efficient networking and good training programs: “When it comes to film funds, production companies should find a dependable partner with whom they can respond to challenges in a timely, flexible manner,” says Birgit Oberkofler. “If they then also find solid infrastructure and a vibrant film scene, the location will be successful over the long term.”
Strengthening local film industries is the right response to global challenges, says media expert Torsten Zarges, the program coordinator and moderator for the South Tyrol Film Fund’s INCONTRI Film Conference. “We find ourselves in a transition phase, which really heightens uncertainty, that’s understandable,” says Zarges. For some of the market’s players, these changes require significant adjustments. Some models that have worked well up to now, such as the ambitious festival film, may have to reinvent themselves in order to still find their audience. Zarges is confident, however: Due to the enormous demand and new opportunities for recipients and producers alike, the market pie is growing rather than shrinking. “There’s no reason to pit cinema, streaming platforms and TV against one another. If you approach it in the right way, the current situation is a huge opportunity for regional film funds and local industries. After all, films and series for streaming platforms have to be produced somewhere.” Why not in a small film location?
TA K E #10
Generous European financing in combination with the series boom can add up to a serious shortage of skilled workers.
FUNDING BODIES OF EUROPE, UNITE!
But there’s a catch. European film funding bodies have been competing amongst themselves for a few years now. In order to attract coveted foreign productions – especially the Americans – tax or cash rebate programs are being launched with ever higher and more flexible terms and
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DOSSIER
2010–2020
10 Years of Funding Films, 10 Years of Change
reimbursements of up to 30 percent. Italy increased its national tax credit two years ago (though it is suspended at the moment), and Germany launched the DFFF 2 specifically to enable support for large VFX service providers. Smaller countries, such as Hungary or Serbia, are also wooing blockbuster projects from the US with attractive funding opportunities. Together with the series boom, this can add up to a serious shortage of skilled workers. Fabian Gasmia knows about German productions that have had to postpone shooting because there was no crew available. Even in an industry as big as Germany, available below-theline professionals – trade workers such as camera assistants, gaffers and production managers – are harder and harder to find, since filming goes on around the clock. These days, producers can apply for funding for content meant for platforms such as Netflix as well, and that exacerbates existing conflicts – like the age-old one between ambitious auteur films and commercial projects, for example. Funding pots don’t grow proportionally to growing demand, of course. Should funding bodies thus focus on their core business, and stop supporting productions for platforms like Netflix or Amazon? Oberkofler and Zarges agree that would send the wrong signal. It’s a negotiation process: opening funds up to streaming providers also forces them to adhere to certain European regulations.
“In order for this to succeed, political groundwork and international networking between the funding bodies are extremely important,” adds Birgit Oberkofler, “in order to react flexibly to changed market situations, for example by adapting funding regulations or creating new ones.” ( IDM Funding Reform, p. 43) Last year, even more new streaming platforms went online. And Netflix has announced that it will invest several billion dollars into producing new original content. It is thus unsurprising that funding applications for series development have increased by leaps and bounds. Right now, the platforms are still working together with European producers; but if tomorrow they start buying up studios, they could turn the lights out in short order. “So, it’s all very exciting and challenging, and will remain so for some time,” says Birgit Oberkofler, “Even as a regional funding body, we cannot ignore global trends – and don’t want to ignore them, either. We want to counter them proactively, and indeed plan to do so.” The aim of the funding program remains one of strengthening the local film and creative industries, both quantitatively and qualitatively, and supporting their further development. “Above and beyond that, our mandate also includes contributing to cultural diversity and strengthening the European audiovisT#10 ual sector.”
“There’s no reason to pit cinema, streaming platforms and TV against one another. If you approach it in the right way, the current situation is a huge opportunity for local industries,” says media expert Torsten Zarges.
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DOSSIER
2010–2020
10 Years of Funding Films, 10 Years of Change
At a Glance New features of the IDM Film Funding program in 2020
In 2019, IDM revised its film funding criteria for the coming years. One fundamental change is that IDM – not South Tyrol’s province government – will now grant funds autonomously, in cooperation with its panel of experts. In addition, IDM will award Green Film certification to projects that practice eco-friendly production. TAKE #11, our next issue, will address this new program in detail. IDM is also planning new regulations on gender mainstreaming (see the dossier on equality and the gender gap in the film industry in TAKE #9, our most recent issue). For example, projects that strike a balance between women and men among the film professionals involved will be preferred, especially directors, producers, screenwriters, leading actors and those in senior positions in the production, cinematography, editing, scenic design and music departments. Childcare costs will also be recognized going forward.
TA K E #10
NEW ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA A U TO N O M O U S G R A N T S , A G R E E N F I L M C E R T I F I C AT I O N A N D G E N D E R PA R I T Y
FUNDING FOR SHORT FILMS D I S CO V E R I N G A N D D E V E LO P I N G N E W TA L E N T S
One of the most important changes that 2020 brings is the implementation of a short-film funding program. Short films produced under professional conditions are one of the most important tools for discovering, supporting and developing new talents. But filmmakers who are already established also use the format as a way to experiment and try out new things. Short films thus offer a good opportunity for bringing film professionals together for shorter periods of time. Short films up to 52 minutes long are eligible for support within the framework of IDM’s production funding scheme. The scheme is open to short form series as well, provided their total length (the sum of all episodes) does not exceed the limit. The main criterion is that they must be high-quality projects, in terms of production and creativity alike. Funding takes the form of grants up to 30,000 euros or 70 percent of the permissible production costs. At least 60 percent of the amount awarded must be verified as having been spent in South Tyrol. For further information, please visit film.idm-suedtirol.com
IDM’s short-film funding scheme comes into force with Call 2/2020. Calls take place three times a year.
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LO C A L TA L E N T S
D I R E C TO R
Nuno Escudeiro
Design: Claudia Polizzi
Nuno Escudeiro finds international acclaim with his lucid and pragmatically told refugee story, The Valley Eye on talent
THE VALLEY Nuno Escudeiro’s award-winning documentary (Emerging International Filmmaker Award from Canadian Hot Docs, BNL Gruppo BNP Paribas Award at Visioni del Mondo in Milan) is a co-production of Miramonte Film (IT) and Point du Jour (FR). IDM provided 80,000 euros of funding for the film.
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By
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M A R I A N N A K A S T LU N G E R
MICHAEL PEZZEI
Nuno Escudeiro is a friendly guy. He has a calm voice and seems almost shy. But that impression is deceptive: he’s prudent, not restrained. Escudeiro was born in 1986 in Tomar, a pretty little town in central Portugal with a UNESCO World Heritage Site: the Convent of Christ, a fortified monastery complex founded by the Knights Templar back in the twelfth century. His origin is something that has strongly influenced the filmmaker’s mindset: “They say that Europeans understand the world because we know our history, and from it we’ve learned important lessons about who we are,” he says. “That reinforces a singular point of view.” But Escudeiro felt out of place in his homeland. When he was 25, he moved to Finland and settled in Rovaniemi, “the only part of the country where Aki Kaurismäki films are actually real,” he jokes. There, he was forced to realign his perception of reality. “But I did discover who I am outside of my cultural context. That was nice.” After that, he studied directing at the ZeLIG School for Documentary, Television and New Media in Bolzano. Escudeiro’s outsider tendencies at home transformed into a gift for adaptation when living abroad. He gained an almost-privileged perspective on borderline situations, both factually and metaphorically. That, in turn, provided material for his films: Qui nessuno è straniero (2014) illuminated the lives of Sinti and Roma teenagers and Moon Europa (2016) focused on refugees living in the Arctic. His latest film, The Valley, also addresses displacement. It’s still an important topic despite what feels, cynically, like oversaturation. “When you talk about refugees, moralizing and polarizing always goes on. I wanted to address the topic concretely,” says Escudeiro. This time he visited the border region between Italy and France, where ordinary people are fighting for adherence to principles that institutions, for whatever reason, cannot safeguard. The film is meant as food for thought. “Today the refugee crisis is a well-established fact. Now it’s time to look back and examine what happened, exactly” says the director. “That way we don’t completely absolve ourselves of T # 10 social responsibility in the future.”
TA K E #10
Nuno Escudeiro turned being an outsider into his greatest strength, sharpening his eye for the essentials.
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SET VISIT
SERVICE PROVIDERS IN SOUTH TYROL
The Caterer: Ö wie Knödel
Paul Grüner knows how to keep crews satiated and satisfied. We peeked inside his pots. A set visit with… the caterer By
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M A R I A N N A K A S T LU N G E R
ARMIN HUBER
The new horror film by Viennese director and screenwriter Peter Brunner, titled Die gespaltene Zunge (The Split Tongue), will be somber and spooky. And the weather on location in Tils/Tiles, near Brixen/Bressanone, played its part to perfection: “The rain and fog just worked,” says production manager Georg Aschauer. But now it’s the end of the shoot, and on this late-October day the sun is shining. “A happy ending,” Aschauer comments from the supply base at Villscheiderhof Farm, directly beneath the filming location at the little Church of St. Cyrill. The tempting scent of sautéed onions wafts through the air: it’s nearly time for lunch, served out of a little van that would make a street-food vendor turn green with envy. The South Tyrolean caterer Paul Grüner has converted the van’s cargo areas, almost eight square meters in total, into a compact and functional kitchen. Dishes and cups are made of reusable plastic; there are no disposable bottles. “This way, we reduce waste generated during breaks,” says Grüner. Although his catering service is called Ö wie Knödel, traditional South Tyrolean Knödel dumplings are not on the menu today. The chef, Maria Antonietta, is preparing beet risotto in a large saucepan, which will be served with a Gorgonzola sauce. Her husband Vito is setting up containers with the other dishes on today’s menu: chili con carne, veggie lasagna and salad. The couple’s hours depend upon the shooting schedule, which sometimes means they cook during the night. Today, however, breakfast wasn’t served until seven. At half past noon, the crew arrives for lunch and sits down in the warm autumn sun, plates heaping full. “Ooh, apple strudel for dessert!” says one crew member happily.
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FILM
W R I T E R & D I R E C TO R
P R O D U C T I O N CO M PA N Y
The Split Tongue (2020)
Peter Brunner
Ulrich Seidl Filmproduktion
His neighbors at the table nod appreciatively – and continue munching. Not every crew is as undemanding as this one, Grüner says. Though of course one is always willing to handle special requests, it’s not always easy: he remembers one actor who absolutely insisted on having a specific coffee machine, even though it wasn’t available. Finally, someone from the crew drove more than 100 kilometers to an electronics shop. “Complicated,” comments the caterer laconically. He keeps his sense of humor, though. As the owner of Bella Vista Mountain Refuge, situated at 2,845 meters above sea level in the Senales Valley, Grüner is used to difficult conditions.
The idea to start up a catering company originated there in 2014: Grüner and his team took on catering for Baltasar Kormákur’s Everest (2015) during shooting on the Schnalstal Glacier. Grüner had to feed a 220-member crew in addition to his usual clientele: very hungry skiers. It wasn’t an easy undertaking, he remembers, “but it was an exciting one.” The experience convinced the restaurateur to go into film. Grüner has fond memories of Josh Brolin and Jake Gyllenhaal during Everest: “For six weeks they stayed at the hotel my wife runs. Very down-to-earth guys. They happily ate their dumpling-and-sausage soup sitting at the bar. No fuss.” As Grüner tells the story, the crew members of The Split Tongue finish up their lunch break. They head uphill to the set one last time, tummies full and spirits T#10 high.
Grüner is a hotelier and restaurateur and has even created his own line of skincare products. The South Tyrolean jack-of-all-trades founded his film catering company, Ö wie Knödel, in 2014. Since then he has fed crews throughout the region, from the set of Giuseppe Tornatore’s The Correspondence to Felix Randau’s Iceman. www. knoedel.it
Fear of God and the Devil’s Work Johannes (Franz Rogowski, pictured above) is 28 years old. But his mind is that of a child, and he suffers from a cleft lip and palate. He lives reclusively in the mountains, together with his pious mother Maria (Susanne Jensen). When their mountains are going to be opened to tourism, sinister events suddenly start to occur. Is the heir of their leased land behind it? Could it be Maria? Or the Devil himself? An exorcism is meant to give answers.
TA K E #10
A CO F F E E M A C H I N E A N D D U M P L I N G S O U P
THE FILM
The screenwriter of the Austrian horror drama is 37-year-old Viennese filmmaker Peter Brunner, who also directed the film, produced by Ulrich Seidl’s company. The Split Tongue was shot in September and October of 2019 in South Tyrol and the Austrian state of Tyrol, with the participation of various South Tyrolean film professionals. IDM provided 295,000 euros of funding for the film.
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P R O D U C E R TA L K S
PRODUCER
Fabian Gasmia
What’s everyday life like for a producer? There’s no such thing: in international co-productions, normality is unknown. A chat with Fabian Gasmia FABIAN GASMIA is on the road 200 days a year co-producing. Within Europe, he almost exclusively travels by train.
Interview by
F LO R I A N K R A U T K R Ä M E R
As the founder and owner of Detailfilm, Fabian Gasmia produced films such as The Wild Pear Tree by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Personal Shopper by Olivier Assayas and L’Avenir by Mia Hansen-Løve. Most recently, he shot a new film by Leos Carax entitled Annette. In 2018, he founded the production company Seven Elephants together with Julia von Heinz, David Wnendt and Erik Schmitt. You’ve co-produced a number of extremely interesting European films. Would you briefly outline your path as a producer for TAKE readers? FABIAN GASMIA Already back when I was studying at university, I made a point of never losing sight of what truly drives me to make films. For me it’s something found only on the big screen: that which is aesthetically unique and emotionally challenging. I found that I was most likely to pursue this goal through international collaboration. Through your joint venture with Lars von Trier’s company Zentropa, for example. FG Exactly. We founded Zentropa Hamburg in 2015. That collaboration, like doing international co-productions, taught me how to make money as an independent producer while maintaining high standards.
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What are the biggest challenges in doing so? Firstly, due to my international co-productions, I really travel a lot. I’m on the road up to 200 days a year. Dealing with the differing mentalities in various countries when working as a team is another issue that can be very challenging. The dynamics of these international teams shouldn’t be underestimated. In addition, we almost always have to work with lower-end budgets. But on the other hand, we also have the advantage that our projects are so prestigious you don’t really have to motivate people to work with us.
FG
What is your everyday production reality like? I would actually like to have more “everyday” in my life. Given the way we work and the types of projects we work on, normality is elusive. For me as a producer, bureaucracy takes up a lot of valuable time. I fully understand that one has to look closely at how public funding is appropriated – after all, it is tax money. But detoxifying bureaucracy, through more cooperation between European funding bodies for example, would give me more time to develop projects. Incidentally, I have something like a mobile office now: I spend a lot of time on trains, and hardly fly within Europe anymore.
FG
S P OT L I G H T
You just came from shooting Leos Carax’s new film… Yes, we just shot the final scenes in Los Angeles. The whole film takes place in LA, but we filmed almost exclusively in Germany and France. For example, we shot in Münster for the LA Police Department. In order to do so, we had to pretend that we were in sunny California on a very cold autumn day. This was especially difficult for the background: they had to stand around in tank tops and flip-flops at two degrees Celsius. Even though it was very cold, there were still many spectators of course. Just as Adam Driver came down the stairs, one spectator asked her friend if they were shooting the new episode of Tatort, T# 10 Germany’s long-running police procedural… FG
MARTIN RATTINI , 44, from Bolzano, has recently received a special honor, having been appointed to the German Film Award’s pre-selection committee in the category Children’s Film. “I was surprised and of course extremely pleased,” he says. Specializing in children’s films was never part of the South Tyrolean producer’s career plans. His milieu is documentary film, with social and environmental issues being particularly close to his heart. But then, Mountain Miracle: An Unexpected Friendship came along. Rattini began his career as a still photographer and cameraman. As one of the first members of the Film Association of South Tyrol (FAS), for years he lobbied for a film-funding program to be established in the province. Today, as the managing director of Helios sustainable films, he acts as a service producer, producer and co-producer – as he did with Munichbased Lieblingsfilm on Mountain Miracle. The film premiered at the Berlinale in 2017 and won the Lola Award for Best Children’s Film at the 2018 German Film Awards. For Rattini this meant being admitted to the German Film Academy. In January, he viewed this year’s 19 eligible films with professionals from other departments – and with the target group. “Having children in the theater was an invaluable market study,” says Rattini.
TA K E #10
Max Bertani/Action Press
Martin Rattini
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C LO S I N G C R E D I T S
QUESTIONNAIRE
PREVIEW
Stefan Ruzowitzky
TAKE #11
QUESTIONNAIRE
Stefan Ruzowitzky answers the TAKE film questionnaire. WHAT’S THE LAST FILM YOU’VE SEEN?
At the cinema: Joker and Parasite. WHICH SERIES IMPRESSED YOU MOST?
Gomorrah. WHAT MOVIE HASN’T BEEN MADE THAT YOU THINK SHOULD BE?
Well, my wife’s answer would be… more romantic comedies! Thus far, I’ve still managed to come up with excuses to avoid them. WHAT WOULD YOU NOT SPEND ANY MORE MONEY ON? Marija Kanižaj
Since the kids are out of the house: guinea pigs, dwarf bunnies, sweet doggies and the like. The cat, which very kindly allows my wife and me to live here, is exempt.
Stefan Ruzowitzky (58) was awarded the Max Ophüls Prize immediately upon his directorial and screenplay debut Tempo in 1996. Anatomie and Anatomie 2 followed in 2000 and 2003, respectively. In 2008, The Counterfeiters won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. With Hexe Lilli (2009), Patient Zero (2018) and Narcissus and Goldmund (2020), Ruzowitzky has proven his skill in a wide range of genres.
WHAT’S THE LAST PHOTO YOU TOOK?
With my lead Murathan Muslu and guest star Matthias Schweighöfer on the blue-box set of my new film Hinterland. I have to think a bit about PR, after all.
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M A G A Z I N E F O R F I L M P R O F E S S I O N A LS
I N D E V E LO P M E N T J A N A B U R B A C H ’ S T R E E L I N E D O S S I E R S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y I N F I L M I N D U S T R Y I N CO N T R I 2 0 2 0
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21.–26.04.2020
TA K E #10
LO R E M I P S U M
filmfestival.bz.it
SECHS WETTBEWERBE UND PREISE / 6 CONCORSI E PREMI VIER INTERNATIONALE JURYS / 4 GIURIE INTERNAZIONALI FINAL TOUCH #5 FOCUS EUROPA: CZECH REPUBLIC LOCAL ARTISTS MADE IN SÜDTIROL ALTO ADIGE LANDSHUT SHORT FILM FESTIVAL MEETS BFFB
GRUPPE GUT
IDM SPEED DATING
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FULL SERVICE POST-PRODUCTION PICTURE POST
SOUND POST
ON SET DIT DATA SERVICE ON SET VFX SUPERVISION DATA BACKUP DAILIES EDITING SUITES CONFORMING VISUAL EFFECTS GRADING MASTERING
SOUND EDITING SOUND DESIGN ADR RECORDING FOLEYS SOUND MIX
SERVICE PRODUCTION PLANNING AND ORGANISATION STUDIO / ON LOCATION SHOOTING VIRTUAL PRODUCTION CO-PRODUCING FROM SCRIPT TO FINAL DELIVERY SUBSIDY APPLICATIONS IDM FILM FUND ITALIAN TAX CREDIT
MERAN/O | BERLIN | COLOGNE | LEIPZIG | STUTTGART soon in: LISBON | PUNE
Italy
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