21 23 WHEN 01 EAST 18 MEETS WEST organized by with the support of 21 23 0118 under the patronage of in partnership with 2018 partners QENDRA KOMBETARE E KINEMATOGRAFISE ALBANIAN NATIONAL CENTER OF CINEMATOGRAPHY FCL partner LST partners in collaboration with database with the technical support of Savoia Excelsior Palace WHEN EAST MEETS WEST Film Centre of Montenegro FCL partner JANUARY 21/23, 2018 Film Center Serbia Polish Film Institute Finnish Film Foundation organized by Greek Film Centre In collaboration with Icelandic Film Centre Fondo Audiovisivo Friuli Venezia Giulia Confartigianato Udine Kosovo Cinematography Center Trieste Film Festival/Alpe Adria Cinema Estonian Film Institute Macedonian Film Agency EWA European Women’s Audiovisual Nordic Film & TV Fund with the support of Network Norwegian Film Institute Creative Europe - MEDIA Programme Festival Scope Slovenian Film Centre MiBACT - Direzione Generale per il Flow Postproduction Swedish Film Institute Cinema Heretic Asterisk Creative Europe Desk Bulgaria CEI (Central European Initiative) Hot Docs Creative Europe Desk Croatia Regione Autonoma del Friuli Venezia Laser Film Creative Europe Desk Denmark Giulia Lithuanian Film Centre Creative Europe Desk Finland MIA Creative Europe Desk Italia under the patronage of National Film Centre of Latvia Creative Europe Desk Norway OLFFI Eurimages Creative Europe Desk Serbia Producers Network - Marché du Film Creative Europe Desk Slovenia in partnership with Creative Europe Desk Sweden database EAVE Maia workshops LST partners Eventival Midpoint BDC Discoveries by Balkan with the technical support of Documentary Center 2018 partners Baltic Sea Docs Starhotels Savoia Excelsior Palace Albanian National Center of Docu Rough Cut Boutique at Sarajevo Urban Hotel Design Cinematography Film Festival NH Trieste Association of Filmmakers of BiH & Ex Oriente Film – Institute of Grand Hotel Duchi d’Aosta Sarajevo Film Fund Documentary Film LOFT Bulgarian National Film Center HBO Europe DRAW Croatian Audiovisual Centre ZagrebDox PRO Danish Film Institute 2 CONTENTS 4 FOREWORD 6 WEMW PROJects 86 WEMW GUEST PROJECTS 96 LAST STOP TRIESTE 114 FIRST CUT LAB 124 THIS IS IT 140 inDEX PARTICIPANTS 264 WemW PARtneRS 270 team 272 OLFFI 3 4 FOREWORD Eight years ago, when we began to think of maintained and strengthened, such as with a name for an event dedicated to promoting Last Stop Trieste and First Cut Lab - the two co-production opportunities, we all agreed parallel sections dedicated to projects in that it should explain the reason why we their editing phase and intended to facilitate had decided to set it up in the first place. their launch on the international market. And that reason was precisely to create We are also adding a new section - This a platform where East and West could is IT - dedicated exclusively to feature film meet, to facilitate cooperation between film projects in post-production and produced industry and professionals from Eastern or co-produced by Italian companies. and Western Europe. I have written several times about the huge Having reached our eighth edition - and number of applications and participants, despite some criticism for the tongue- and the ever-growing interest in WEMW. twisting nature of the name we chose - we Therefore, I shall not repeat myself (even are proud that When East Meets West has though it is true), and I shall just wish all participants, new and old, a pleasant stay become an event of choice for directors in Trieste. I would, however, like to reiterate and producers from all over Europe looking a concept which truly embodies WEMW's to present and pitch new projects. founding idea, and one that unfortunately In fact, it is a name that nowadays has is being continually questioned: “Culture is perhaps become a little too narrow, an economic factor of prime importance; it considering that for some years WEMW has is above all what links people together; it been connecting North and South, as well is a catalyst which will manage to destroy as East and West. But no need to worry: the last few existing barriers. As Europeans we shall not change it to “When East Meets we must believe that the cultural diversity West and South Meets North”... of the Continent is a source of richness to This edition will repeat last year's formula, exploit − not a limitation but a resource to and will therefore contain a double focus: be harnessed, to encourage growth for all”. on Northern countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden), on the one hand, and on South Eastern Europe, on the other. The usual ingredients which have PAOLO VIDALI been successful in past editions are being FRIULI VENEZIA GIULIA AUDIOVISUAL FUND 5 6 WEMW PROJECTS The WEMW international committee Pictures - Serbia) will deliver the EAVE led by Danijel Hocevar (Vertigo) and European Producers Workshop scholarship, Leena Pasanen (Dok Leipzig), and the Cannes Producers Network Prize, composed by Manuela Buono (Slingshot the Hot Docs Industry Pass, the Flow Films), Didar Domehri (Maneki Films), Postproduction Award, the Asterisk Visual Alessandro Gropplero (WEMW), Katrin Marketing Award and the Film Center Pors (Snowglobe) and Jozko Rutar (SPOK), Serbia Development Award. Last but not has selected 21 projects in development least, the European Women’s Audiovisual from 16 different countries. The 2018 final Network will deliver the EWA Network Best line-up includes 11 fiction feature films and Woman Director Award whereas the three 10 documentaries selected amongst 287 Baltic Film Institutes will give away the applications from 43 territories. brand new Baltic Award. The WEMW 2018 jury, including Benjamn In addition to the 21 projects selected for Illos (Quinzaine des Réalisateurs - France), the pitching forum, WEMW invited two Petri Kemppinen (Nordisk Film & TV guest projects previously presented at two Fond - Norway), Riina Sildos (Amrion WEMW partner platforms: DOCSP and - Estonia) and Mila Turajlic (Dribbling DOK Preview Training - DOK Leipzig. 7 10 A BAG OF HAIR 14 About Love anD Men 18 CARavan 22 DARK MotHER EARTH 26 DaRKling 30 FReeDom LanDscaPes 32 HiDE anD SeeK 34 I'll StanD BY You 36 InventoRY 40 Lamb 44 MOTHER LODE 8 48 PLAGUE 52 PRISON BEAUTY CONTEST 56 Restless 60 RESTLESS GUARDIANS 64 SKiing IN ScaRves 68 Small BODY 72 SYDen 74 THE Quest FOR ToneWooD 78 THE StoRM BEFORE THE Calm 82 TREES FLOATING 9 GENRE Fiction R is discriminated and bullied by local kids, DIRECTOR / WRITER LOGLINE Maria Douza Valmira wins the attentions of macho and Financial upheaval forces a teenage deaf xenophobic Fanis. Valmira begins dating PRODUCERS girl, Valmira 15, to leave her progressive Fanis not noticing how he tries to hide her Maria Kontogianni, Michael Athens school and return to her father's HAI Sarantinos, Thierry Lenouvel from his friends (because she is deaf). In struggling island where she is confronted vain Aris tries to protect her from a real- BUDGET by the danger of prejudice and intolerance, € 875.940 (€ 183.940 in place) ity she does not fully comprehend. When F most shockingly -- her own. COMPANIES things with Fanis and his friends take a nasty turn, it is too late for her to admit O Steficon, Cine Sud Promotion LOOKING FOR SYNOPSIS to her miscomprehensions. In her misery, Co-producers, Financing, Set on a remote and backward island in the she finds solace in sheltering a refugee girl Sales Agents, Festivals Aegean, ‘A Bag of Hair’ tells the story of two and -in a reversal of roles – she schemes adolescent kids who try to become part of the girl’s escape. But things go tragically ag a community they did not choose to live in. wrong, and Valmira unable to face her own One is Valmira (15) a deaf girl. The other bad choices, turns her own fear and preju- is Aris (17) the son of an illegal immigrant dice onto her only true ally, Aris. Accusing woman. Valmira who lost her mother when him of behavior that isn't his own Valmira A B she was six comes to the island when her creates in him a sense of loss and betrayal father, Stamos, can no longer pay the fees with unforeseen consequences. Aris turns Maria Douza for the School of the Deaf, in which she has his back to her and abandons her, but in virtually grown up. Her arrival signifies her doing so – at long last – he opens her eyes. coming out in the real and alien world of Humbled Valmira reaches now out for Aris the hearing, where she has to struggle to finding in him not just a step brother but a survive and integrate. Aris is the son of Sta- priceless unselfish friend. mos’ partner and illegal immigrant, Tania. Michael Sarantinos Fixated by the idea of becoming Greek, DIRECTOR statement Aris wants Valmira to recognize him as her A Bag of Hair is an existential tale on al- stepbrother. Valmira’s strategy to integra- ienation, the fear of being different and the Contact Details tion though clashes with Aris’ strategy as need to belong. Having a deaf protagonist is Steficon she desperately tries to become part of an a dramatic as much as an aesthetic choice. N.Psychiko, Greece environment that excludes him. While Aris Valmira represents isolation and exclusion T: +30 6979444353 [email protected] 10 – the desire to be accepted as equal. It is be soft with low contrast shadows to serve feature film, by Angelos Fratzis through her eyes and her soundless per- the wintery feel of the film and the sense of Greece/ France /Latvia ception that we will experience the film, loneliness and melancholia. Editing will be by use of primarily cinematic means that fast and dynamic to convey intensity and “STASIS” - in post-production, feature film will put emphasis on the image, the gaze, urgency. (Ref film: Breaking the Waves, by Mantas Kvendaravicius.