Jason Loftus’ Eternal Spring: The Heist of China´s Airwaves
The three films on the SSD 2022 slate of UK sales house Sideways Film are as vital as they are varied, whether in terms of theme, form or composition.
Combining present-day footage with 3D animation inspired by comic book illustrator Daxiong’s artworks, Jason Loftus’ Eternal Spring: The Heist of China´s Airwaves, tells a tale of oppression in China following an audacious attempt at insurrection of which artist Daxiong himself was one of the perpetrators.
“It is the story of a group of Falon Gong – an oppressed minority in China – who hijacked Chinese State TV to broadcast a rebuttal to the lies told about them by the Chinese government, and are then ruthlessly hunted down,” explains Sideways’ Kazz Basma, Head of Sales and Acquisitions. “The animation is so dynamic that the story unfolds as a thriller that keeps audiences gripped. It won the audience award at its international premier in Thessaloniki Festival, and then both audience awards at its North American premier at Hot Docs.”
Gun Shot Wound by Jody Schiliro examines routine gun violence in America through the eyes of its trauma surgeons. Every day in the United States, an average of 318 people are shot—about 116,000 victims each year. The film examines the crisis through a public health lens and highlights hospital-based violence intervention programs designed to combat the epidemic. “[It] is sadly very timely,” comments Basma. “It follows the surgeons who are responsible for stitching up the victims and now also initiating projects focused on the causes on gun violence, and prevention.”
“Aquariums: The Dark Hobby is a unique environmental film looking at how tropical fish find their way into pet shops,” the Sideways head says of the third film on the SSD slate. “It’s a virtually unknown process of hunting via dynamiting coral, using cyanide and that’s just the beginning – the rest of the journey is unbelievably cruel and dangerous, with most dying on the way, and suffering greatly.” The film is shot in Hawaii, referred to as the “ground zero in the global struggle to save marine wildlife.”
“The films very well represent our profile as they are all ambitious, timely stories that can connect with broad audiences [served by] public broadcasters, commercial broadcasters and the platforms,” Basma told BDE. “We already have a number of deals in place and have had offers during our meetings here at Sunny Side. That’s one of the great things about Sunny Side, that the titles launched at MIP TV and Hot Docs are now often screened and the sales meetings generate concrete on-the-spot offers.”
While Basma is focusing on acquisitions at La Rochelle his colleagues Juan Solera and Guillaume Lyonnais are meeting with buyers and focused entirely on sales. Meanwhile Miguel Jimenez is arranging meetings with digital clients.
“In terms of acquisitions, we gravitate towards world and social issues/investigations, the sciences and the arts,” Basma explains of his pick-up policy. “It’s difficult to explain our profile in greater detail, but we know it when we see it and I think producers also instinctively know when a film or series fits with us.”
That said, Basma publishes an online explanation of his business rationale which reads more like a manifesto: “We believe that a documentary is not just a news item or throwaway distraction, but a source of understanding and empathy, as well as entertainment. Every one of our sales team is a cinephile and a believer in the power of film.”
“Sunny Side of the Doc is an incredibly important market for us, it’s small enough to navigate easily and without the chaos you sometimes experience at festivals in trying to see everyone alongside all the festival screenings, but big enough to have a packed schedule and with the people you really want to connect with or catch up with,” Basma rounds off. “The setting and timing also add a lot, everyone is in a great mood here!”
