The film is also an adaptation of Krištúfek's book of the same title.
„When the producer Zuzana Mistríková approached me with the offer to pick up and redevelop the original project, I was just in the middle of conceiving my own new film. Nevertheless, I read Peter’s script, and already on the following day I realised just how much the story, which is based on true events, resonated with me,“ said director Iveta Grófová.
The first 24 shooting days took place in the small town of Medvedov in southwestern Slovakia and also in Znojmo, Czech Republic. Another 26 days of filming are scheduled until March 2022 in other locations, including a trick studio in Bratislava.
Emma and the Death’s Head tells the story of Marika, a Hungarian widow who shelters a young Jewish boy in her home on the Slovak-Hungarian border near Bratislava during the turbulent years of WWII and the Wartime Slovak State. It also tells the story of the boy, Šimon, who survives the tribulations of war thanks to Marika and his imagination. It is a film about the fragile boundaries between the imperatives of humanity and self-preservation in circumstances where one just about excludes the other.
The film has an international cast with Slovak-Hungarian actress Alexandra Borbély in the lead. For the authenticity of the story, actors from four different countries will speak their native languages.
The film is produced by PubRes in coproduction with Ondřej Trojan´s Total Helpart T.H.A., Hungarian Campfilm, RTVS and the Czech Television.
The estimated budget of 2,087,000 EUR is supported by the Slovak Audiovisual Fund and Kultminor. The producers are now applying for support from Eurimages.
The release of the film is planned for 2023.
Production Information:
Producer:
PubRes (Slovakia)
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Coproducers:
Total Helpart T.H.A. (Czech Republic)
Campfilm (Hungary)
RTVS (Slovakia)
Czech Television (Czech Republic)
Credits:
Director: Iveta Grófová
Scriptwriter: Peter Krištúfek
Set designer: Tomáš Svoboda
DoP: Martin Štrba
Costume designer: Katarína Štrbová Bieliková
Cast: Alexandra Borbély, Nico Klimek, Milan Ondrík, Florentin Groll, Alexander E. Fennon, Dénes Uljaky, Lili Monori, János Derzsi, Piroska Molnár, Éva Bandor, Ján Mistrík, Táňa Pauhofová
