One of the largest and most expensive projects of companies Fresh Production, which this spring will be considered at the competition of projects of the State Agency for the movie, there is Snow in the Carpathians” – amazing love story Ukrainka and Austrians against the background of the two world wars.
Unfortunately, no one has applied for the adaptation of the novel by Vladimir Fox “Century of Jacob, who is on a territorial and event epic, timeliness can be considered the Ukrainian literary analogue to the American film “gone with the wind. But, fortunately, but there was a project “Snow in the Carpathians” Konstantin Werner, writer, Director and producer with the German, Czech and Austrian blood in my veins.
So went to the historical map that Ukrainians from the sort of age used by Vikings. Here and now, not having the strength to shoot yourself about yourself this movie, so it through a small showed great use from a foreign source. That’s good at least. But it together on such third-party forces could not even dream of. But in turn…
Actually, it in the script of our past. Galicia in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. “Snow in the Carpathians” tells specific (though fictional) story of love of two people, the story is sad and tragic, but majestic, which in global understanding can be a metaphor for the history of the two state formations – Austria-Hungary and Ukraine. If you go this metaphor, the script looks like this: start a war between the two empires – the Austro-Hungarian and Russian, where Ukraine is just one of the areas for a showdown in nacelnika-bloody way. In this war lost everything, but Ukraine is much more; however, hope came in 80 years, when we gained independence.
Relations heroes “of Snow…” also have dramatic taste, because the two are United in love – Austrian officer Anton von Haider and Ukrainian fortuneteller Maria Chaban – should go to die alone. And their only hope for a relationship, at least mentally, there is a child born Maria from Anton. And that this hope did come true, the viewer can understand from the last scene – in 100 years after the events of 1914 (when actually Anton and Maria met) to the Carpathians arrives family – father, mother and three children. Performing probably an annual ritual, they go to one of the mountains, on a slope which are two graves. Clearly, this family – descendants of the Austrian, who was in love with a Ukrainian woman.
And the story of a metaphorical script is not the only virtue of the project. Generally unique that Werner, a German by birth, with 2000′s living and working in the United States, decided to write a script with the Ukrainian connotations. And if a little to dig into the facts, the situation turns out.
It all started in 2008, when he, having ended in the Czech Republic shooting his first movie “Queen of the Slavs”, first came to Ukraine. And wholly imbued its dramatic history of constant wars (for it and in it), its culture, temples and people. “Fuel to the fire” perception poured his genes – rod Werner associated with Ukraine historically and spiritually. At least because the eternal Ukrainian opponent, Russia was involved in the collapse of Austro-Hungary in 1918, and the decline of Germany of 1919, and occupied the Czech Republic in 1968. Thus, all the time rethinking what he saw and felt, known and considered, Werner came to the idea to write a script that would unite his experience and his desire.
He returned to Ukraine, is intending to introduce the scenario German with Ukrainian and light them eternal love, which burned on the background of significantly greater fire First, and then Second world wars. Werner himself went to the Carpathians, got to Rakhiv, climbed on the pass, listened to the people and come from historical sources. Read a lot about the liberation movement of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army in Western Ukraine. And it was a perfect fit for purpose.
In the end the main character has become an officer in the Austro-Hungarian army, which should as far as possible to escape from the trial for the murder in a fight Hungarian count. And then the most distant geographical point on the map Empire was Galicia.
Actually, reading the script, it is clear that foreign author still entangled in the nuances, for example, it is difficult to believe in the existence of a fully Jewish settlements in the deaf Carpathian mountains. But Werner accurately caught ethnic and national relations between Ukrainians, Russians and Jews. However, now the script translated into Ukrainian and korut according to the then historical realities of the region.
2012 Werner sent the script to the Chairman of the German production company Aktis Film Stelios Sansa, and that, in turn, knowing Ukrainian production companies Fresh Production, forwarded it to its leader Oleg Shcherbina. The script all amazed, even though Werner his then double-copied. And, it seems, the most amazing was not even a script, and not language in Ukraine, and the view of the project. That is already at the time of his “coming” to Ukraine he had the majority of those components, from which, like a puzzle, should gather any movie.
The idea and the script is not all for the film. The film is funding a team of creators, actors, selected location, the equipment and a clear idea about the future. In Ukraine most of the projects do not go beyond ideas, and those that go, flowing into the script, and even getting the money did not reach production. The project “Snow in the Carpathians” came to Ukraine in search of a Ukrainian representative intermediary, to be submitted to the competition film projects, which a few years ago launched an updated Goskino. Fresh Production can close 10% great for us the 8-million budget, and the lion’s share of 50%, the producers want to get it from Goskino. But the project already has a Director (himself Werner, who did “the Queen of the Slavs”), operator (Antonio Restra, who took part in creation of “Bitches love” Inarritu and “Frida” Julie Taymor), guaranteed 5% of the budget from the Slovak side, 15% – from Germany, 20% – private investment, sales agent of the rights of the company Aktis Film and powerful American distributor, the company Entertainment One, famed for its rental potential
70 positions, including the films “Cosmopolis” Cronenberg and “Passion” where Palm trees. No project with such bekereja to Ukraine have not been played yet.
Plus, Konstantin Werner has a clear vision of the leading male role. That is, he wants to see in the role of Anton someone from seven Hollywood stars: Shia La Boeuf (“transformers”), or Aaron Taylor-Johnson (“to Become the John Lennon”), or Robert Pattinson (Twilight), or Michael Fassbender (“Prometheus”), or Joseph Gordon-Levitt (“Loop time”), or Jim Sturges (“Cloud Atlas”), or Jake of Gyllenhaal (“Prince of Persia”). And these concepts are not groundless nonsense idealist, fan just Hollywood. Werner almost 15 years cooperates with Hollywood, produces films and serials in Germany, relieves music videos in Los Angeles and plays in new York. Exactly as he can find the right agent the right actors. But the desire Werner get to your project with the Hollywood star of class “a” due to the requirement of the U.S. distributor.
Ukraine means to work with any of the mentioned seven stars?” In Ukraine can be improved. The fact that the current Hollywood star Olga Kurylenko and Mila kunis, does not mean anything. As what have been here at press conferences Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Adrien Brody, or Sasha grey. But when will this movie (and get good), appears trust, then interest, and then close contacts. Ignore the offer, waiting for some miracle.
Shooting period “of Snow in the Carpathians” will begin in the fall of 2014, and in the car he would be out in 2015.
Yaroslav Pidgora-Gvyazdovskiy
http://zbruc.eu/node/5460
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