31 July 2023
In the 47th episode of the Co-production Podcast, Cineuropa’s editor-in-chief, Domenico La Porta, and co-producers Peter Brosens (Bo Films, Belgium) Flaminio Zadra (Palosanto Films, Italy) and Mira Staleva (Art Fest, Bulgaria) discuss the production of Luka, written and directed by Jessica Woodworth.
Mira Staleva, the producer of the film, discussed the challenges faced during its production, particularly the decision to change the shooting location from the initially chosen Aragats Research Station to Italy. This change was prompted by various factors that occurred in 2019, such as the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by the war between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which resulted in regional instability.
The protagonist of the film is LUKA, who comes to a castle where men have been waiting for years for the mystical enemy. The film's director and screenwriter, Jessica Woodworth, was inspired by Dino Buzzati's classic "The Desert of the Tartars”, written in 1940. The film is not a classic adaptation, but a director's inhabited vision, it is a tale of suspended lives, illuminating how friendship can transcend and topple even the greatest of illusions.
According to Peter Brosens the film LUKA serves as an excellent example of cultural cooperation between four countries, they also had a delightful experience of working with co-producer Angela Frangyan from the Armenian side.
Anjela is a young and talented filmmaker, who also tries her hand at producing. The National Cinema Center of Armenia has had its small contribution to the project both financially and in talent- the young actor Samvel Tadevosyan also joined the international film project. After the festivals, the film will be screened in the cinemas of the co-producing countries.
Full podcast at the following link: cineuropa.org
Դուք չեք լրացրել բոլոր պահանջվող դաշտերը