The Edinburgh Pitch 2012
”Make Docs Happen” on the catalogue and on the posters surrounding the theatre where the pitch of 11 projects from all over Europe – to a panel of 11 broadcasters and distributors – took place. And make docs happen is what the Scottish Documentary Institute (SDI) has done for years now, with enthusiasm and competence. The SDI introduces itself as a ”documentary research centre at Edinburgh College of Art specialised in documentary training, production and distribution, running annual programmes such as ”Bridging the Gap” (short documentaries) and Interdoc (feature documentaries) helping filmmakers and producers to develop their projects”.
Among the pitched projects were ”Borrowed Memories” by Maria Clara Escobar from Brazil, a promising personal story where the director wants her father to tell her what happened to him during the dictatorship, where he – a poet and playwright – was jailed and tortured for his political work. Also a film about father and daughter is ”Fatherland” by Sara Ishaq (photo), who has a Scottish mother and a yemenite father, who at a very early stage wanted to find a man for her (old, fat and bald according to the daughter’s memory), which he does not remember… The daughter goes to Yemen and other serious matters comes up, the revolution, that brings father and daughter to the streets and closer to each other. Easy to see that this film will be strong and with an international potential. The director has an Egyptian and a Syrian coproducer. An award for the best pitch was given to ”Chuck Norris vs Communism” by Ilinca Calugareanu, who brought a charming story to the panel about the illegal distribution of Western films, translated by Irina Nistor ”whose husky, high-pitched voice became known throughout Romania”.
The SDI also arranged a session with ”Docs in Progress” and has a premiere tonight of a film coproduced with Sweden, ”Future My Love”, directed by Maja Borg. This happens within the frames of the Edinburgh International Film Festival.
