EAVE project MAYSOON is shooting
In Production and in Post-production September 2023
In production
- EAVE project MAYSOON by Nancy Biniadaki, producer: EAVE graduate Christopher Zitterbart is in production. The film is set more than a decade after the Arab Spring, when the young Egyptian Maysoon leads a happy life in Berlin with her boyfriend Tobi and two children. Due to private problems and repressed events from her political past, her life begins to falter, and Maysoon has to fear losing everything once again: Family, home, freedom. "I want to tell the story of a woman who has to fight for things we take for granted, reflecting two important themes - the independence of every human being and especially of a woman, and being a stranger in a society," says Nancy Biniadaki. The script was developed in the Script to Film Workshop of the Mediterranean Film Institute and won the Initiative Film Development Award at the Crossroads Co-Production Forum in Thessaloniki. MAYSOON participated in the 2021 Berlinale Co-Production Market. The film is a European cinema co-production by Watchmen Productions, in co-production with Graal Films and unafilm, rbb Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg, GFC (Greece) and ERT (Greece). MAYSOON is created with the support of the Creative Europe - MEDIA Programme of the European Union and is funded by Minister of State for Culture and the Media, Medienboard Berlin- Brandenburg, Hessen Film & Medien, DFFF German Federal Film Fund , the Hellenic Broadcaster and the Greek Film Centre.
- SENTIMENTAL VALUE by Joachim Trier, producer: EAVE graduate Jonas Dornbach is in production. Co-written by the Norwegian director and his usual accomplice Eskil Vogt, the story kicks off when Nora and Agnès’ mother passes away, and their father Gustav subsequently reappears in their lives. A film director of former renown, he has written a screenplay in which he would like Nora, who is now an actress, to play the main part, but the latter refuses categorically. During a retrospective on his work at a French festival, Gustav meets a young Hollywood star who declares herself blown away by one of his previous films and who expresses a desire to work with him. He offers her the role initially written for Nora, seeing this as an unhoped-for opportunity to relaunch his career. The film shoot in Norway becomes an opportunity for Gustav to face his demons, as well as one last chance to reconnect with his daughters… SENTIMENTAL VALUE is produced by Mer Film and Eye Eye Pictures (Norway), Ex Nihilo and MK Productions (France), Komplizen Film (Germany) and Zentropa (Denmark and Sweden). Having kicked off in August, filming will continue until October in Norway, France and Germany.
- MEXICO 86 by César Diaz, producers: EAVE graduate Anne-Laure Guegan, PUENTES graduate Géraldine Sprimont, co-producers: EAVE graduate Hans Everaert and PUENTES graduate Delphine Schmit is in production. With MEXICO 86, Diaz continues to explore the history of his country of origin, through the trajectory of Maria, a Guatemalan revolutionary activist exiled for many years in Mexico where she continues her political work. When her 10-year-old son comes to live with her, she will have to make a difficult choice between her role as a mother and that of activist. The film is shooting from 28 August till 20 October, between Guatemala and Mexico. MEXICO 86 is co-produced by Delphine Schmit for Tripode Productions (France) and Hans Everaert for Menuetto Film (Belgium). The film received support from the Centre du Cinéma et de l’Audiovisuel de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, the Vlaams Audiovisuel Fonds, screen.brussels, the RTBF, Proximus, Be TV, Shelter Prod, the National Lottery, the New Dawn funds, Canal+, France TV and Creative Media.
- FROST by Pavle Vuckovic, co-producer: EAVE graduate Miroslav Mogorovic is shooting. The film written by Pavle Vuckovic follows detective Mirjana, who goes to eastern Serbia to investigate a girl's disappearance. Over the course of time, her police investigation turns into a personal quest. The film explores through elements of detective film, thriller and fantasy, the culture, beliefs, Christian tradition and superstitions of the region. Stefan Mladenovic is producing through Serbia’s Plan 9 together with Zezelj Gojkovic through Serbia’s Film District, in co-production with Ivica Vidanovic and Nevena Savic through Serbia’s Cinnamon Films, Miroslav Mogorovic through Serbia’s Art&Popcorn, Tomi Salkovski through North Macedonia’s Black Cat Production and Maja Kecojevic through Montenegro’s Parangal Film. Support comes from Film Center Serbia, the North Macedonia Film Agency and the Film Centre of Montenegro. Shooting started in the monastery of Pavlovac on the Kosmaj Mountain in the beginning of September and it is planned to wrap within 30 shooting days, other locations are in the vicinity of Belgrade, as well as in Negotin and Lepenski Vir.
In post-production
- AURORA by Rain Tolk and Andres Maimik, producer: EAVE graduate Madis Tüür is in post-production. The film is made using the character-based improvisation method, which has not yet been widely applied in Estonia. The story and the characters have been created through improvisation in real environments and real-life situations. The film tells the story of Aurora, the daughter of a religious leader, who enters a secret extramarital affair that challenges her life arrangements. She tries to please everyone, but when it's time for a lavish wedding anniversary celebration, an uninvited guest arrives. Secrets begin to reveal themselves at the wrong time and in the wrong place. "As Estonian poet and philosopher Tonu Ennepalu writes: We live between boredom and pain. When feelings go over our heads, we long for stability and peace, but when this stability is too much, we long for madness, freedom, and raw feelings," say the directors. Madis Tüür is producing through Estonian company Kuukulgur Film, in partnership with Pimik and High Voltage rental. The project has been financed by the Estonian Film Institute, the Estonian Cultural Endowment, the Ida-Viru Film Fund and the Tartu Film Fund.
Page published 27 September 2023.
