Costa Brava, Lebanon, directed by Mounia Akl with producer Abbout Productions, received a larger grant of 550,000 NOK ($56,000).
Sørfond has granted a total of three million NOK (approx. USD 310,000) to six international projects that have been co-produced with Norwegian minority producers. Of the six, three that are receiving funding include projects from Lebanon, Turkey and Tunisia.
Sørfond is administered by the Norwegian Film Institute in co-operation with the Films from the South Festival (Oslo Festival Agency), with funding from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Sørfond’s overall objective is to strengthen film production in countries where film production is limited for political or economic reasons. Sørfond helps reinforce film as a cultural expression, promote diversity and artistic integrity, and strengthen freedom of speech. During the last nine years, Sørfond has supported 60 projects.
The fund received 45 applications for this year’s deadline. This year, six projects were selected by the jury to receive support from Sørfond, including one documentary and five fiction projects.
Sørfond’s jury members for this year include film editor and associate professor at The Norwegian Film School, Sophie Hesselberg; producer and director Sebastián Peña Escobar (Paraguay); and Per Eirik Gilsvik, Project Manager at Films from the South Festival (Oslo Festival Agency).
A statement from the jury said: “We had the honourable and very interesting task of reading and evaluating the projects for this year’s round of grants from Sørfond. In these times of global lockdown, it has been a privilege to take part in this fascinating journey around the world, introducing us to the new stories, perspectives, and visions from both talented debutants as well as more established names of contemporary cinema. Unfortunately, the quality of the projects exceeds the funds, so it’s been a true challenge choosing between all the original, compelling, and socially relevant stories.
“Our final selection of six projects includes one documentary and five fiction films. Four of the projects granted support will mark the debut feature film of the respective filmmakers. The selected projects convinced the jury with their stories and strong visual concepts, original scripts, as well as their layered and fascinating characters. We greatly look forward to seeing these projects on the big screen in the near future.”
Motherhood, from Tunisia, has received a grant of 450,000 NOK (USD 46,000) and is being directed by Meryam Joobeur.
The plot revolves around Salha, a mother gifted with prophetic dreams and visions. She lives in an isolated village in Tunisia. When her eldest son’s sudden return from Syria coincides with a series of strange disappearances in their community, Salha’s maternal love is tested and we see how guilt can haunt the human spirit.
Regarding the project, the jury said: “Within an impressive scenery, this project tells the story of a family of farmers in the remote plains of Northern Tunisia. The director courageously articulates different film genres –from drama and magical realism to psychological horror– into a well-crafted critique of Tunisia’s traditional social structure and its responsibility in maintaining a highly hetero-patriarchal state. In addition to maternal love, guilt and morality, the jury found this project’s exploration of the sometimes-grey frontier between good and evil highly relevant in today’s world.”
Turkey’s New Dawn Fades, directed by Gürkan Keltek, also received a 450,000 NOK ($46,000) grant.
New Dawn Fades is about Akın, who loses touch with his true self. The streets of heaped districts, where evil became banal and mercy perished, now are home to ‘devils’ and ‘demons.
Speaking about the project, the jury remarked: “A hybrid documentary that will take us on a mystical journey through the mind of its mentally ill protagonist while also serving as a metaphor for the socio-political landscape of contemporary Turkey. The jury was struck by the poetic and visual language of the script, bearing the promise of an atmospheric, beautifully captivating, but dark film.”
New Dawn Fades attended the Sørfond Pitching Forum 2019. The project was invited to the pitching forum through its partner L’Atelier of the Cinefondation.
Costa Brava, Lebanon, directed by Mounia Akl with producer Abbout Productions, received a larger grant of 550,000 NOK ($56,000).
The plot centres around the Badri family, who live in isolation in Lebanon’s mountains. When the government inaugurates a garbage landfill outside their fence, everything they escaped catches up with them.
The jury noted: “A beautiful story about a family trying to create a utopian space in a world invaded by garbage, a smart reference to the relevant theme of ecological crisis. The director Mounia Akl seamlessly interweaves the decay of family dynamics and that of the environment surrounding them. With interesting characters and a strong sense of visual concepts, the film portrays issues of female sexuality and women emancipation from patriarchal authority.”
The other three projects that received the grants include Cu Li Never Cries from Vietnam, The Women from Myanmar, and Daughter of Rage from Nicaragua.
