behind the blue door

Feature film for the whole family
BEHIND
THE BLUE DOOR
Based on the novel by Marcin Szczygielski
Ewa Błaszczyk Tomasz Kot Magdalena Nieć Teresa Lipowska Adam Ferency
INTRODUCTION
The amazing adventure of 11-year-old Łukasz begins when the
boy and his mom go on a long-expected vacation. The journey
is interrupted by a tragic accident that results in hospitalization
of the boy. When he recovers, he finds out that his mom is in
a coma. At first, he is being taken care of by a neighbour and
later by his previously unknown to him aunt who takes him to
her guesthouse by the sea. The boy gets his mother’s old room.
During one of the rows Łukasz discovers that the blue door to
his room lead to antother reality; they are a kind of interdimensional portal. The unknown world frightens the boy at first, but
later it becomes a place that he goes to in every spare moment.
There he meets a human-like creature with uncertain intentions
that craftily releases evil. After a great fight, in which Łukasz is
assisted by local children, the setbacks are overcome, the aunt is
saved and so is the guesthouse, and perhaps the whole world...
BASIC DATA
lead producer:
genre:
language:
duration:
budget:
director:
screenplay:
cast:
director of photography:
art director:
costume designer:
composer:
executive producer:
production manager:
polish distribution:
international distribution:
TFP Ltd.
Maciej Sowiński
Andrzej Papis
feature film for the whole family
Polish
90 min
1 120 000 EUR
Mariusz Palej
Adam Wojtyszko
Magdalena Nieć
Katarzyna Stachowicz-Gacek
Ewa Błaszczyk
Michał Żebrowski
Teresa Lipowska
Magdalena Nieć
Adam Ferency
and selected children from nationwide castings
Witold Płóciennik
Katarzyna Sobańska
Marcel Sławiński
Barbara Sikorska-Bouffał
Jacek Mazurkiewicz
Wojciech Stuchlik
Renata Marszewska
Next-Film Ltd.
Robert Kijak
available
Marcin Szczygielski
Author, journalist, graphic designer.
Known to the adult audience as the
author of theatre plays: Tag, or the
Phantom of the mohair, A Shell, Furies,
Kallas, Singles and remixes and novels
PL-BOY, PL-BOY’s spring, Tatters of
passion, Tag, Spillikins, The Queens of
Poland. A separate section of his creation are books for younger readers.
The novel Omega (2008) was awarded
in The Most Beautfiul Book of 2009
contest and in the 2nd Halina Skrobiszewska Children Literature Contest
and was nominated the Book of the
Year 2010 by the Polish section of the
IBB (International Board on Books for
Youngsters) and was inscribed on the
Treasure List of the Museum of Children Books. The next book The Black
Mill (2009) was awarded the 1st prize
in Astrid Lindgren Literature Contest
in 2009. The novel Behind the Blue
Door (2010) was awarded the 1st prize
in the IBB Donga Contest in 2011 and
the 2nd prize in the 3rd Halina Skrobiszewska Children Literature Contest
and was inscribed on the Treasure List
of the Museum of Children Books. The
newest position for children is The Ark
of Time (2013).
FROM THE AUTHOR
I was very happy to receive the idea of screening the book. Not only
because I’m it’s author, but first of all I believe in it’s potential which
influences the imagination of the young recipients already when they
read it and will move them even stronger from the screen. When Mr.
Mariusz Palej presented his vision of the film to me, he convinced me
that together with the screenwriters he was able to emphasize, develop
and strenghten all the book’s values while maintaining the fantasy-adventure character of the story. Adolescent recipients of my book react
to it spontaneously and not only do they notice the magical story, but
also the message, and what’s more, they introduce the plots of Behind
the Blue Door to their plays.
Marcin Szczygielski
FROM THE DIRECTOR
Behind the Blue Door is a film about love, fighting for life, but also
about difficult relations. The character’s coma in this aspect can be
treated both literally and figuratively. In Łukasz’s every relation with
the surroundings first we have the ‘coma effect’. The coma becomes a
symbol of separating the character from the outside world, an internal blockade preventing him from creating close relations. In the film
we show building these relations, we show solitude and the strength
of a community, we show love and it’s determination. In the character’s life there is one more gap that he tries to fill- lack of a father.
Perhaps it was easier for Łukasz’s mom not to tell the child about his
father to avoid evoking the painful past. But Łukasz has the right to
know. He instinctively overestimates his father in order to have an
example to follow during a critical moment. He needs the courage and
the strength of a man- father and full devotion and love of his mother.
The world is rushing forward, but people change much slower. I would
also like to tell about this in this film. We have dynamic lifes, demanding jobs, new relationships, but we often forget what a responsibility
is parenthood. The children want to trust that we will not leave them,
that we can fight for them. I would like to show them the power of
love. Looking for one’s identity, facing the apathy and passivity and
also isolation and difficult relations with family and peers are not the
problems that only a child in a coma faces. I would like this film to
face the problems of every adolescent child.
Mariusz Palej
Mariusz Palej
Cameraman, director, producer,
graduate of the National Higher School of
Film, Television and Theatre.
Filmography:
2007 – Immensity of Justice
D.O.P. – feature film, Bronze Circle at the
37th Lubuski Film Summer
Dir. Wiesław Saniewski
1999 - I’m handsome Cezary Pazura
Direction, camerawork, screenplay
1998 - It’s awesome T. Love
Direction, camerawork, screenplay
1998 - Daisy T. Love
Direction, camerawork, screenplay
1997 - Sins Live Under One Roof
Camerawork
Dir. Aneta Rutkowska
1997 - Latino Dyna Maind
Direction, camerawork, screenplay
1997 - Call me Elvis
Direction, camerawork, screenplay
1997 - Dynamind - video clip
Screenplay, executive producer, camerawork
1996 - The Land of Illusions
Camerawork, Dir. Wojciech Szumowski
1995 - Counter-advertising
Co-production Marcin Krzyształowicz
1994 - Maybe it’s a sin that i pray
Camerawork, Dir. Franco de Pena - Silver
Dragon MFFKM
1994 - Voices in the Dark Basen on the novel
by Julian Stryjkowski - Honorable Mention,
Jewish Film Competition Berkeley
Łukasz Maciejewski
Film critic, book author.
Lecturer at the National Film School
in Łódź and Colegium Civitas in Warsaw, film curator at the Małopolska
Art Garden, FIPRESCI member, HBO
Europe expert.
CRITIC’S OPINION
Every family cinema project is for me, as a film critic, a holiday.
Films for children are made so rarely in our country, that in the last
few years you could count them with fingers in just one hand. The
joy and satisfaction is even greater when I have an occasion to get
acquainted with such an interesting and innovatory project as Behind
the Blue Door directed by Mariusz Palej.
For the first time in a very long time I have an impression that the
adolescent audience is being treated seriously and with respect. I fully
support the project.
I am impressed not only by the screenplay- valuable, psychologically
credible and with interesting dialogues, but also by the great engagement of the director and the producers.
Łukasz Maciejewski
Jan Jakub Kolski
Director, screenwriter and producer,
author of documentary and feature
films, theatre plays, books, and songs.
Filmography:
2014 – Heart, heartling and the journey
to the end of the world
2012 – Kill the beaver
2010 – Venice
2009 – Afonia and the bees
2006 – Jasminium
2005 – Solidarity, solidarity
2004 – Pornography 1999 – Story of the cinema in Popielawy
1995 – Jancio the Aquarius FROM THE
ARTISTIC SUPERVISOR
Behind the Blue Door is a project of a film that is moving, visually attractive, balanced and... wise. I took on supervising this project applying all the most valuable criteria to it. They did not exclude expecting
a show, because the screenplay promises that too.
Judging by the seriousness, extent and precision the director and the
producer want to give this film everything that would increase it’s value; good cast, good special effects, and the abundance of shooting days.
I want to support the creation of Behind the Blue Door because I
believe in a formula capable of connecting the main character and
the recipient. The small one, the bigger one, and the biggest one. The
cinema can really do that.
Jan Jakub Kolski
Film distributor- Next Film Ltd. created
by HELIOS network of cinemas, currently owned by AGORA Inc – the biggest
media consortium in Poland. In 2013 the
company has successfully distributed the
following feature films:
TARGET AUDIENCE
AND MARKET POTENTIAL
Feature film designed to being distributed in the cinemas in the first
place. Potential cinema audience of the film is estimated at around 400
000 viewers. Subsequently the film will be exploited by emitting on
paid TV channels, VOD service and DVD. The last form of exploitation will be emission on an open nationwide TV channel.
The film is mostly targeted at younger audience at the age of 8-14,
but because of it’s topics and artistic values it has a chance to become
an interesting position for adult audience, especially in the context of
watching the film by the whole family together. The project also has
festival potential which can create a chance of foreign distribution
of the film, perhaps restricted, but possible, because of the versatility
of the topics and the transparent genre as adventure cinema for the
children.
Highway Patrol
Director: Wojtek Smarzowski
Premiere: 1st February 2013
Audience: 1 015 418
To be like Kazimierz Deyna
Director: Anna Wieczur-Bluszcz
Premiere: 1st March 2013
Audience: 92 742
Embassy
Director: Juliusz Machulski
Premiere: 18th October 2013
Audience: 169 300
Papusha
Director: Joanna Kos-Krauze
i Krzysztof Krauze
Premiere: 15th November 2013
Audience: 110 205
CO-PRODUCERS
Alien FX Ltd.
FremantleMedia Ltd.
POLSAT Television Ltd.
Heliograf Ltd.
Dreamsound Ltd.
AB Film Ltd.
250 000 zł
250 000 zł
1 250 000 zł
250 000 zł
45 000 zł
100 000 zł
Granted sum from Polish Film Institute
Granted sum from Odra Film
Declared fund from lead producer
2 000 000 zł
200 000 zł
355 000 zł
Total film budget
4 700 000 zł
CAST
Ewa Błaszczyk
as Aunt Agata
Film and theatre actress.
Graduate of the PWST in Warsaw. She debuted in 1977
on the scene of the Modern Theatre in Warsaw. She has
been an actress in studio theatre in 1994. One of her
greatest acting achievements was playing Klara in the
film Supervision by Wiesław Saniewski in 1985. She won
the Gdańsk Bronze Lions on FPFF. She is also a singing
actress. She took part in actor song reviews in Wrocław.
In 2002 she started a foundation ‘Akogo?’ helping children after heavy neurological traumas and their families.
Filmography:
2006 – Immensity of Justice
1995 – Nothing Funny
1988 – Decalogue IX
1986 – Replacements
1985 – Hanussen
1985 – Supervision
CAST
Michał
Żebrowski
Magda
Nieć
Teresa
Lipowska
Adam
Ferency
as Tailor/Jailor
as Mom
as the Neighbour
as the Doctor
CHILDREN CAST
Dominik Kowalczyk
as Lukas
Sara Ługowska
as Monica
Jakub Gawrecki
as Flea
Oskar Wojciechowski
as Bite
PRODUCTION DESIGN
AND COMPUTER EFFECTS
Kasia
Sobańska
Marcel
Sławiński
Production designer, graphic
designer, painter. She displayed
her works in Warsaw, Gliwice,
Munich and London. As a production designer she debuted
in Form Studio and
TV Theatre.
Filmography:
2014 – The Promise
2013 – Ida
2012 – You are the God
2011 – In the Darkness
2011 – The Mill and the Cross
2001 – Angelus
Production designer and decorator. Graduate of ASP in Katowice and Kraków (production
designer degree). He is currently an ASP lecturer in Kraków
and Warsaw. He is a production
designer for theatre plays,
operas, musicals, and films.
Filmography:
2014 – The Promise
2013 – Ida
2012 – You are the God
2012 – To be like Kazimierz
Deyna
2011 – In the Darkness
2011 – he Mill and the Cross
2001 – Angelus
Ryszard
Rogocki
2013 – Strange sounds
- computer effects (superviRyszard Rogock
sor), co-producent
The day of animator,
the siege.
reżyser, założyciel studia A
2012 – September eleven
Ur. 1965 r. w Warszawie studiował na Politechnice Warszawskiej. Współtworzy rynek rek
filmu od 1996 roku, początkowo jako freelancer a od 2003 r. jako studio animacji i postpro
1683– computer effects
Alienfx. Współpracował z Sebastianem Pańczykiem przy produkcjach dla klientów takich
LAYS, IKEA nadzorując animację. Prowadził od strony animacyjnej i postprodukcyjnej film
2012Bonduelle,
– Hans
KlossStake
marki “Harnaś” browaru Okocim,
Fortuna,
Delma, Enea.
Jako reżyser pracow
przy kampanii “Serce i Rozum” a także Łowicz, Biedronka i Danone. Współprodukował fil
higher
than
deathspecial
Patryka Vegi „Ciacho” i produkował efekty specjalne do filmu „Hans Kloss efStawka większ
śmierć”.
fects, post-production supervision, image composition,
3D animations
2012 – Pie- VFX supervisor,
composition, animation, coproducer
2010 – Weekend
– computer effects
COSTUME DESIGNER MUSIC CINEMATOGRAPHY
Barbara
Jacek
Sikorska-Bouffał Mazurkiewicz
Costume and production designer.
Polish Film Academy member. In 2014 nominated for Polish Film Award ‘Eagles’ for the
best costumes in the film Papusha.
Filmography:
2013 – Papusha
2011 – Daas
2009 – Afonia and bees
2007 – Sex FM
2006 – Fundacja
Musician and composer.
He was involved in many artistic projects with
artist like: Daniel Levin, Rob Brown, Michael
Zerang, Giridhar Udupa, Miya Masaoka,
Mikołaja Trzaski, Patryk Zakrocki, Wacław
Stanisław Soyka, Zimpla Jerzy Mazzoll, Ray
Dickaty Andrew Drury, Marek Kądziela, Pulsarus, Tomasz Dąbrowski, Jacek “Budyn” Szymkiewicz, Pogodno, Am-Sveerg, Słoma, Arszyn,
Joanna Duda, TR Warszawa and others.
Witold
Płóciennik
Director of photography. Graduate
of PWSFTviT in Łódź.
Filmografia:
2014 – Carte Blanche
Camerawork, Dir. Jacek Lusiński
2013 – The Case
Camerawork, Dir. Wawrzyniec Kostrzewski
2013 – Mrs Hanka’s diary
Camerawork, Dir. Borys Lankosz
2013 – Paradox
Camerawork, Dir. Greg Zgliński,
Igor Breidygant, Borys Lankosz
2011 – Dodge
Camerawork, Dir. Greg Zgliński
2010 – Pixels
Camerawork, Dir. Jacek Luściński
ZA NIEBIESKIMI
PRODUCTION
DRZWIAMI
Renata Marszewska
Wojciech Stuchlik
Graduated from Queens College in
New York where he obtained a degree
in Media Studies. During his stay in
the USA he gained experience with
production of short films and advertisements. After he returned to Poland
he studied Organization of Film and
Television Production in Katowice.
Filmography:
2014 – Happy Sunday – Executive producer
2013 – Wilq Negocjator – Executive
producer
2012 – Silent Lake – Executive producer
2010 – Sparrow – Executive producer
RENATA MARSZEWSKA
Executive producent
II KIEROWNIK PRODUKCJI
II KIEROWNIK
PRODUKCJI
Production manager
D
oświadczenie
2013
kierownik produkcji - film dokumentalny, Studio
Munka, 12m ciszy, reżyseria Rafał Leszczyński
kierownik produkcji, asystent reżysera – film
dokumentatny – Panorama Racławicka, reżyseria
Marcin Bradke – Telewizja Polsa
kierownik produkcji – AB FILM PRODUCTION sp.
z .o.o.
II kierownik produkcji spotów reklamowych Cyfrowy
Polsat, Carlsberg
2010
II Kierownik Produkcji w filmie fabularnym DAAS,
reżyseria Andrzej Panek
osoba odpowiedzialna za kontakt z mediami w filmie
fabularnym DAAS, reżyseria Andrzej Panek
Kierownik Produkcji spotów reklamowych
Head&Shoulders
Asystentka Kierownika Produkcji serialu
paradokumentalnego „DLACZEGO JA” - TV4
Kierownik biura castingu TAKOMEDIA
2009
Reżyser i scenarzysta cyklicznego magazynu
telewizyjnego „MASZ PRAWO” - TVP; Producent,
współscenarzystka widowiska muzycznego Yass-no,
historia prawdziwej wolności – Polskie Radio Program
3 i Polskie Radio Gdańsk, Realizator, scenarzysta,
producent, reżyser filmu – Świat sprzedaży w
Mastterfoods
2008
Kierownik produkcji koncertu telewizyjnego
poświęconego pamięci Jana Karczmarka - TVP
KULTURA
Kierownik produkcji przeniesienia do telewizji
spektaklu teatralnego Teatru Capitol ŚMIERDŹ W
GÓRACH – TVP KULTURA, Kierownik produkcji cyklu
programów – POJEDYNKI HONOROWE – Discovery
Polska, Producent dźwięku w spektaklu Zamek
Legend Śląskich, realizacja JERZY MAZZOLL,
Producent, kierownik produkcji rejestracji filmowej
koncertów - JERZY MAZZOLL w KLUBIE
AKWARIUM, Realizacja cyklicznego programu
telewizyjnego INFORMATOR DOLNOŚLĄSKI (TV4
Telewizja Dolnośląska) – scenarzysta, realizator,
kierownik produkcji – (1997 – 2012)
2006
Reżyseria i scenariusz cyklicznego programów
telewizyjnych PORADNIK PRAWNY, HIP-HOP BITWA
–emisja TVP 3 Wrocław
2005
Kierownik produkcji w cyklu filmów dokumentalnych
POCZĄTEK (Discovery Polska), BŁOGOSŁAWIONY
CZESŁAW (TVP3 i TVP POLONIA)
2002-2006
Reżyser i scenarzystka filmów dokumentalnych i
reportaży TV (Wrocław w drodze do EXPO,
Dolnośląskie nieruchomości na targach w Cannes, Na
planie filmu „Jutro będzie niebo”, Futurystyczne wizje
Francji na Wystawę Światową, Wrocławski Festiwal
Filmowy, PLASTIC PEOPLE OF THE UNIVERSE reportaż z koncertu
1998
Reżysera, animator
„Jabłka”
1987 -1998
Asystent reżysera, współrealizator, kierownik
produkcji
Produkcje filmów niezależnych („Szczury”, „Berliner
Tango”)
Has a degree in History of Art from
Wrocław University. Connected with
film and television since many years.
Independent producer of documentary
films and TV programmes. Producer
and production manager.
1998 – Apples – She created an
animated film all by herself
Filmography:
2011 – Daas – 2nd production
manager
RENATA
MARSZEWSKA,
rodowita
Wrocławianka, Studiowała Historię Sztuki na
Uniwersytecie Wrocławskim. Od kikudziesięciu lat
związana z filmem i telewizją. Smodzielny
realizator filmów dokmentalnych i programów
telewizyjnych. Producent i kierownik produkcji. W
1998 roku zrealizowała samodzielnie film
animowany "Jabłka" i do dziś pasja do kina
towarzyszy jej niezmiennie.
II KIEROWNIIK PRODUKCJI
RENATA MARSZEWSKA
TFP Ltd.
Stanów Zjednoczonych 53 Street
04-028 Warsaw, Poland
tel: +48 607 722 152
email: [email protected]