Jakob Preuss Jonas Weydemann Jakob Weydemann Aims at the NPP Looking for co-producer(s) and world sales. Director Jakob Preuss Producers Jonas and Jakob Weydemann Screenwriter Jakob Preuss Languages Polish, Greek, English, German Genre Documentary Format HD, 16:9 Running time two versions of 80 and 52 mins Target audience 45-65 Budget €467,200 Contact Jakob D. Weydemann Weydemann Bros. GmbH Körnerstr. 45 50823 Köln Germany Tel: +49 221 63060529-0 /F -9 Email: jakob@weydemannbros.com www.weydemannbros.com 2012 NPP 13
Father Ojciec Apple <strong>Film</strong> Production, Poland An uncompromising tale about dealing with the passage of time. Synopsis Konstanty and his English-speaking, career model girlfriend live in Canada. Malgo is nine months pregnant and expects to give birth any day now. One day, the couple learns that Konstanty’s father, who was living alone in Poland, has died in a fire. Konstanty decides not to go to the funeral, preferring to be present at the birth of his son. This is a film about a man whose son is born just as his father dies. The shock brought about by this coincidence causes the hero to engage in imaginary conversations and encounters with his late father in order to know himself better, and understand who he really is and how he came to be that way. Konstanty’s plunging into the imagined world lead to a breakdown of his relationship with Malgo. Director’s statement With this film I would like to tell the story of a father-son relationship, explore the complexities and consequences it involves, and show how difficult, if not impossible, it is for a son to give up the role model his father had been. I believe this relationship is seminal in defining the way we interact with the world at large. There is a film about growing up, family responsibilities, aging and, finally, letting go of life. The first layer of the film is the gradual falling apart of the relationship between Konstanty and his girlfriend; the second takes place in Poland and consists of Konstanty’s meetings with his father and the persons who had been close to him. The two parts are intertwined. The storytelling is fragmented, blending the real and the imaginary, a stream of images that affect one another to produce tension and all manner of associations. Such films were made by Tarkovski, Sokurov, Godard, and Guy Maden, which is not to say that the director seek to emulate their style of storytelling: it is their way of thinking about film and narrative in general that inspires him. As the screenplay will rely largely on dialogue, I would like the finished movie to draw on the work of film and theatre directors such as John Cassavetes or Mike Leigh, I specifically have in mind the stage preceding the actual shooting when script and dialogue are still being developed. I want actors to be fully involved in this process, so that their lines will be an organic expression of their personalities. Such an approach greatly helps enhance the dramatic structure of individual scenes, and lends psychological credibility to the characters. Most importantly from my point of view, it encourages actors to take ownership of the project. The cinematography should revolve around the actors and focus on depicting their psychological states. This would entail drawn-out shots, enabling one to get a good look at the characters. In counterpoint to this, I plan to include intensely shot details and portraits. Actors’ faces are of paramount importance to me, and not just those of the two male leads. Apart from supporting characters appearing in the screenplay, I would like to include portraits of people the father mentions in his stories. It’s as if he were creating a mental gallery of the people who had somehow affected his life. Similar attention will be paid to details and objects. Parts of the film will be collages made using various film media: 35 mm, 16 mm, 8 mm, video, slides, and archive material such as a newsreel from 1964. Director’s filmography Polish film and theatre director, graduated from Lodz <strong>Film</strong> School in Acting and in Directing. During his studies he already directed short movies that were screened and awarded at European and American festivals and were shown during contemporary art exhibitions. His debut Bellissima got numerous awards a.o. Young Marco Polo Premio for the Best Young Director ITF Venice 2001, Canal Grande Award for The Best Female Role ITF Venice 2001, Best Director’s Debut at the Polish <strong>Film</strong> and Best Actress Awards at the Polish <strong>Film</strong> <strong>Festival</strong> Gdynia. The film was also shown at Toronto IFF in Discovery section. Father will be his second feature after 10 years directing for the theatre. Production company profile One of the first and leading independent production companies in Poland, established 22 years ago by Dariusz Jabłoński, director and producer, assistant to Krzysztof Kieślowski on Decalogue. The company is a very active co-producer, working internationally. 14 NPP 2012
- Page 1 and 2: 27 SEP -1 OCT UTRECHT FILMFESTIVAL.
- Page 3 and 4: The Holland Film Meeting 2012 takes
- Page 5 and 6: Again and Again Temple Film, Romani
- Page 7 and 8: Bergman’s Video Gädda Five, Swed
- Page 9 and 10: Death of a Salaryman Vernon Films,
- Page 11 and 12: Dust Cloth Toz Bezi Ret Film, Turke
- Page 13: Europe’s Borderlands Europas Gren
- Page 17 and 18: Motherland Anayurdu Yeni Sinemacıl
- Page 19 and 20: Mudo Impronta Films, Spain Orphan M
- Page 21 and 22: Paradise Trips Caviar Films, Belgiu
- Page 23 and 24: Parisienne Seansas Film / Fralita F
- Page 25 and 26: Pilgrimage SP Films, Ireland A grou
- Page 27 and 28: Runt Fragrant Films, UK Turning the
- Page 29 and 30: Second Life Második élet HVD Prod
- Page 31 and 32: South Facing Wall Güneye Bakan Duv
- Page 33 and 34: In the Heart Onder het hart Waterla
- Page 35 and 36: Into the Blue IJswater Films, The N
- Page 37 and 38: Johanna’s Son Johanna’s zoon Ri
- Page 39 and 40: Kessels CTM LEV Pictures, The Nethe
- Page 41 and 42: Knuckles’ Last Tape Dieptescherpt
- Page 43 and 44: The Year I Turned 30 Het jaar dat i
- Page 45 and 46: NPP 2010: Life or Theatre NPP 2009:
- Page 47 and 48: NPP 2007: The Happiest Girl in the
- Page 49 and 50: NPP 2004: Mamarosh NPP 2003: Guerns
- Page 51 and 52: Index Titles Again and Again by Cri
Change language