Calling the story about a lost Tbilisi filmmaker pretending to be a bear “a tender, poetic and inspiring road movie” the French actress, singer and model leads an international cast that includes Greek/French Georges Carraface, Ukrainian Bogdan Benyuk, Georgian Nika Tavadze, German Christian Ulmen and Bulgarian Ilka Zafirova.
“The film is based on a real story. During the 1990 Tbilisi civil war a film studio bear suddenly become homeless. In order to be properly taken care of we wanted it sent out to a Western country. During a meeting with a foreign defender of animals I jokingly told him: Why don’t you take me instead of the bear? Firstly we laughed, but later on Zaza and I started inventing the magic story of a man who under the fur of a brown bear decides to cross Europe,” Shamatava told FNE.
Combining national support with private money the significant multilateral coproduction between the Ukraine’s Fresh Productions, Georgia’s Studio “O”, Germany’s Aktis Film Productionand Bulgaria’s Geopoly is being shot in four countries.
“The Ukrainian and the Bulgarian parts were successfully competed last October and November, the German and the Georgian shootings are ahead of us. They will take place in the winter of 2014,” Ukrainian delegate producer Oleg Shcherbina said.
Russia’s Pavel Vyakin is training the bear (Tima) who will portray the bear Chola in the film. German coproducer Stelios Ziannis, whose Aktis Film International will act as sales agent, said, “This participation is not only important, it is also extremely exciting.”
“Ilka Zafirova nearly reincarnated herself as the famous Bulgarian prophetess Vanga. Because of the specific make-up the actress had to keep her eyes closed for nine hours,” Bulgarian coproducer Georgy Cholakov said.
The CGI animated scenes will be executed by Germany’s Halle-based Digital Images in 2014. The premiere is planned for 2015.
Contact information:
Fresh Production
19 Obolonska naberezhna Str.
Building 4, office 1
04210 Ukraine, Kyiv
Tel.:+ 38 (044) 537 12 24
Fax: + 38 (044) 581 65 24
e-mail:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.freshproduction.com
Studio “O”
39 ap 14 Chavchavadze av
0179 Tbilisi
Georgia
+995 551 23 59 25
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Aktis Film Production
Hauptmannstr. 10
D-04109 Leipzig
tel:+49 341 355 40 907
fax:+49 341 355 40 909
www.aktis-film.com
Geopoly
16, Kapitan Andreev Str
1421 SOFIA
BULGARIA
+ 359(02) 9630 661
+359 888 605 350; +359 888 627 357
www.geopoly-film.com
Sales:
Aktis Film International
World Sales/Acquisition
Hauptmannstr. 10
D-04109 Leipzig
tel:+49 341 355 40 907
fax:+49 341 355 40 909
www.aktis-film.com
