Untitled - Blue Pencil Investments

The hottest places in hell are reserved for
those who, in times of great moral crises,
maintain their neutrality.
– DANTE ALIGHERI
SYNOPSIS
THE CATASTROPHIST is an epic love story that forever changes the lives of the two
main characters – James and Ines– who struggle with their relationship and beliefs,
both professional and personal, as the world around them erupts into violence. Set
against the turmoil of the Belgian Congo in 1960, ‘The Catastrophist’ is reminiscent
of films such as The Year of Living Dangerously, The Constant Gardener and Last King
of Scotland.
James Gillespie, middle-aged, a jaded and somewhat cynical writer, has fallen in love
with the younger Ines and followed her to the Congo where she is working as a
journalist for a left wing newspaper. Prior to meeting Ines, James had a number of
failed relationships and affairs, and sees his romance with Ines as his last chance for
love. Beyond their immediate sexual attraction, which is intoxicating, James sees in
Ines’ devotion to the cause of Patrice Lumumba, the belief and passion that he wishes
he had.
They live in the stylish colonial capital, Leopoldville, with its art nouveau buildings and
grand boulevards. Ines has access to Leopoldville’s high society garden parties, thrown
by the likes of the Union Miniere, who control the Congo’s diamonds, uranium, and
copper. They live in grand mansions with ornate gardens that stretch to the Congo
Rivers edge. People wear the latest Jackie Kennedy type fashions imported from
Europe, and dance to the new craze of Chubby Checker’s ‘The Twist’. They do their
best to pretend they aren’t in the heart of Africa, which has its own very different
and powerful music.
When civil war breaks out people are forced to take sides. It is something James has
been avoiding all his life, but now he has to decide. It is this love for Ines that drives
James to go further and further into the “Heart of Darkness” that Conrad writes about.
In risking everything James empowers himself, there is no longer anything to fear.
STYLE
The style and look of the film will reflect the glamour of 1960 Leopoldville.
The film will be shot in Mwanza, Tanzania to maximize production value as
many of the older period buildings still exist there today. The European quarter
in colonial Leo was extremely chic and affluent; many of the colonial mansions
have been beautifully maintained there and we anticipate high production
design value as a result.
The cinematography will reflect the gloss and glamour of this time, and will
play into the considerable nostalgia felt for this period, as seen by the popularity
of shows like Mad Men.
Particular attention will be paid to the costume of the period, a chance to bring
back some of those wonderful Jackie Kennedy fashions and the sharp suited
dressing styles of the men. The optimism of 1960 is reflected in the music of such
artists as Chubby Checker, the Shadows, Roy Orbison, Brenda Lee, Cliff Richard.
The glamour and romance of James and Ines fits well into the beauty and
elegance of pristine Leopoldville. They are, however, brought into contact with
the world of the Congolese, who live in the townships on the city outskirts a world of more vibrant colours and the pounding Congolese music that had
developed around the drum beat over the centuries. It is a chaotic world of
passion and poverty. It is this world that after independence takes over colonial
Leopoldville.
The love story is the vehicle through which we witness these changes and
it is the romance and passion of Ines and James that act as a guide through
the chaos, and the passionate hope that true freedom and democracy will
finally come.
CAST
DAN STEVENS - JAMES
Star of hugely successful Downton
Abbey (Winner of Emmy’s, BAFTA’s,
and Golden Globes)
• Heralded as the new Colin Firth.
• Dan is a household name not only in
the UK but the US, Japan, and the rest
of the world.
•
FREIDA PINTO - INEZ
•
•
•
Multi-award winning actress.
Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
You Will Meet a Tall, Dark Stranger (2010)
MORE CAST TO COME:
STIPE - TBD
LUMUMBA - TBD
AUGUSTE - TBD
MADELEINE - TBD
DIRECTOR
NICK BROOMFIELD
Recipient of the British Academy lifetime achievement award, the Hague Peace Prize, The Prix Italia, Sundance Festival First Prize, The Dupont
Columbia for outstanding journalism. His last feature Battle for Haditha won best director at San Sebastian and a Grierson. His other 25 films
include Kurt and Courtney, Biggie and Tupac, and his recent film Sarah Palin; You Betcha!
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT:
This year we have seen the Arab Spring and Liberation Movements rise up all over the
world. The first liberation movements of this kind took place in 1960, the most dramatic
of which happened in the Belgian Congo.
My dream has always been to make an epic love story in which the sex and passion
of the relationship spills over into the politics and events around them. This love can
lead one or other of the partners into exploring areas – psychological, political, and
emotional - which they otherwise would never have gone. This is what happens in
the story of James and Ines, and I am looking forward to working with the actors to
convey the subtlety of emotion and feeling which ultimately changes both of them for
the better.
The world of Leopoldville in the Belgian Congo of 1960 was glamorous and fashionable.
It represented the height of civilisation, with its big boulevards, art nouveau buildings,
and European style restaurants. Yet in the course of one year, the year in which the film
is set, all this would change in a series of events culminating in the murder of Lumumba
from which the Congo has never recovered. Drawing heavily on the visual impact of the
locations to tell the story, we have found a brilliant location in Mwanza, Tanzania, on the
shores of Lake Victoria, a 1960’s city miraculously unchanged. This will help bring the
authenticity and scale to the story that it deserves.
Like my previous film, Battle for Haditha, I see this as a visceral and compelling film with
a strong driving narrative. A film that will have action and emotional impact.
PRODUCERS
SARAH CURTIS
Sarah has been an independent feature film producer for 18 years. Her most recent
film Hysteria is a romantic comedy about the invention of the first vibrator and
premiered at Toronto and Rome Film festivals. It was bought by Sony Classics and
will open in the US in May. In 2008 Sarah produced box office hit RUN FAT BOY RUN
for Material Entertainment, starring Simon Pegg and Thandie Newton and directed
by David Schwimmer. Sarah also produced ON A CLEAR DAY, starring Peter Mullan,
Brenda Blethyn and Billy Boyd which opened the Sundance Film Festival and was
bought for distribution by Focus Features. ON A CLEAR DAY won two Scottish BAFTAS
in 2006, Best Screenplay and Best Film.
Her previous film credits include CHARLOTTE GRAY with Cate Blanchett and Billy Crudup
for director Gillian Armstrong; Patricia Rozema’s MANSFIELD PARK; THE GOVERNESS
(Minnie Driver and Tom Wilkinson) directed by Sandra Goldbacher; MRS. BROWN,
directed by John Madden; Christopher Monger’s THE ENGLISHMAN WHO WENT UP A
HILL BUT CAME DOWN A MOUNTAIN, which starred Hugh Grant, Tara Fitzgerald, Ian
McNiece and Colm Meaney; and three projects with director Les Blair, BAD BEHAVIOUR
(Stephen Rea and Sinead Cusack), BLISS starring Douglas Hodge and JUMP THE GUN, set
in South Africa.
CHRISTINE HAEBLER
Christine has been working in Film and TV since 1983 and producing films and TV
since 1995. She worked in various positions in production on many US Studio films and
international feature films from LM, A.D to Unit Manager. She has developed, produced
and exec produced award winning feature films and television mini series as well as
complicated international co-productions and most recently service projects. She brings
well rounded production knowledge and a highly creative eye to the table. Those
qualities are coupled with a dogged determination for producing high quality projects
on time and budget.
TRISH DOLMAN
Trish Dolman is the founder of Screen Siren Pictures Inc. and has been producing film
and television since 1994. A producer of award winning feature films, TV movies and
documentaries, both in Canada and Internationally, Trish also sits on many industry
boards and is very involved in many aspects of film and Television policy in Canada.
She prides herself on building a company that maintains an excellent reputation for
integrity, innovation and quality, while fostering lasting professional relationships.
SALES
THE WORKS INTERNATIONAL
In addition to having introduced numerous filmmaking and acting talent to the market
that have gone on to global success (Ken Loach, Michael Winterbottom, Emily Blunt,
Keira Knightley to name a few), they have an excellent track record in handling high
profile documentaries. The company scored consecutive Best Documentary Oscars
with MAN ON WIRE in 2009 and THE COVE in 2010.
The Works nurtures an extremely tight and established network of distributors in every
territory and excellent relationships with all relevant film festivals worldwide benefited
by the fact that a number of our key executives have been lending their expertise to the
company for over a decade.
The Works is currently handling award-winning feature GOOD VIBRATIONS, 100 BLOODY
ACRES which launched at AFM following its Australian premiere at Melbourne,
Toronto award winner ARTIFACT, about 30 Seconds to Mars legal battle with EMI,
and KELLY + VICTOR. The company is also handling pre-sales on Nick Broomfield’s
THE CATASTROPHIST starring Dan Stephens and Freida Pinto and Jason Connery’s
cross-dressing comedy OF CORSET’S MINE.
Founded in 1986, The Works has more than 25 years of experience in the international
sales business, and as an independent company managed to adjust to all the challenges
the global market has thrown at it in its wake.
BUDGET 4.5 MILLION US$
SHOOTING SUMMER 2013
DELIVERY SPRING 2014
SHOOT LOCATION
TANZANIA
POST LOCATION VANCOUVER, BC
THE WORKS
5th Floor, Fairgate House
78 New Oxford Street
London WC1A 1HB
T: +44 207 612 1080
F: +44 207 612 1081
FORTHCOMING FILMS
46 Lamont Road
London SW10 0HX United Kingdom
T: +44 207 565 3641
F: +44 207 351 1332
E: [email protected]
SCREEN SIREN PICTURES
203 – 2339 Columbia Street
Vancouver, BC, V5Y 3Y3 Canada
T: 604.687.7591
F: 604.687.4937
E: [email protected]
www.theworksfilmgroup.com
wwwforthcomingfilms.com
www.screensiren.ca