Axxon Media Takes ‘Happiness,’ ‘Soula’ and ‘Public Enemy No.0’ to Berlinale (EXCLUSIVE)
variety.comAnna Marie de la Fuente International sales, distribution and production company Axxon Media has picked up a troika of films ahead of Berlinale.
Leading the pack is Askar Uzabayev’s “Happiness” (“Bakhyt”) from Kazakhstan, which world premieres in the festival’s Panorama section.Making its market debut at the EFM is Algeria-set “Soula,” written and directed by Salah Issaad, a contender at the Red Sea Festival in Jeddah last December.The third film is Amalric Gérard’s French burlesque comedy “Public Enemy No.
0,” currently in post and to be presented as a work in progress.“Axxon Media has a policy of acquiring films with a social, human or artistic cause,” said Brussels-based Axxon Media CEO, Gilles Duffaut, adding: “Festivals and distributors must work on films that awaken consciences, that unite people, make them participate in a film, rather than remaining passive and just watching it.” “People now want to participate in a story, pay for a cause, give their point of view,” he asserted. “Happiness” and “Soula” are based on true, harrowing events in their respective countries.According to Duffaut, “Happiness” is based on a similar incident that befell its producer Bayan Maxatkyzy, a famous TV anchor, producer, actress and blogger in Kazakhstan who nearly died after being beaten and stabbed by her then husband.
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