A raft of new documentaries, spearheaded by Susanne Regina Meures’ Girl Gang (pictured, one of five feature docs recently nominated for a European Film Award) and Jorgen Leth and Andreas Koefoed’s Music for Black Pigeons, form Berlin-based sales agency Rise and Shine’s Docs for Sale line-up, ready to spark the interest of buyers and distributors at this year’s IDFA.
Girl Gang, playing in the Competition for Youth Documentaries and helmed by Susanne Regina Meures, the director of Raving Iran and Saudi Runaway, received the EFA nomination just before doors opened on IDFA 2022.
The feature, which world-premiered at CPH:DOX back in March, is a portrait of 14-year-old Leonie, an influencer from Berlin. Initially, Leonie’s family is delighted, because this red-haired girl with an open, freckled face seems to have struck gold with her spontaneous content. Her parents set themselves up as her managers, but as Leonie’s followers increase by the thousands, as screaming hordes of teenage girls follow her wherever she goes, and as she attracts one sponsor after another, the pressures and stress grow.
On Leth and Koefoed’s film Music for Black Pigeons, Dziersk comments: “We signed [it] just before IDFA. For us, this is the ultimate jazz film. Danish doc masters Jorgen Leth and Andreas Koefoed take us into the hearts and souls of amazing jazz musicians, while they try to explain what they feel when they make music. The film had a standing ovations world premiere at Venice this year.”
On the current climate for doc sales, Anja Dziersk comments how, “a number of buyers have become even more reluctant to acquire new films that are not 100% mainstream – they try to cut costs, yet want more rights. But quality has a price and their viewers demand it and appreciate really well curated programs. At Rise and Shine, we have not really been suffering from the pandemic years. In 2022, we have sold more licenses than ever.”
“Of course, the Russian-Ukrainian [crisis] is something that matters and all buyers are interested in outstanding accounts from the region. We have always been engaged in films from and about the region and have some very interesting titles coming up. Apart from that, there is always a demand for light and positive stories, as well as for really amazing films dealing with climate change in different ways. Our film Into the Ice has been selling big around the world because it’s a unique mix of amazing nature cinematography and science, combined with great characters and a clear message on climate change,” Dziersk continues.
On average, Rise and Shine handles 15 new titles each year. The company attends all the major festivals and markets, and IDFA is – quite predictably – an unmissable appointment. The team feels very positive about the prospects of this year’s edition, and hopes to “once again see how documentary films matter to viewers” and “to make them see the world in a different light and perspective.”
On the outfit’s acquisition strategies, Dziersk reveals: “We have a saying at Rise and Shine: ‘Truth is stranger and stronger than fiction!’ We strongly believe in the unique power of documentary to capture reality and to tell factual stories that fascinate and charm a viewer in the same way a good fiction film can do. Therefore, we’re always looking for films that matter, which have a storytelling power and a relevance for our times and our world.”
Speaking about the other titles they will be selling and promoting in Amsterdam, Dziersk adds: “At Docs For Sale, you should especially look out for The Return of Inflation, a brand new and relevant title for current affairs slots; the heartbreaking Too Close that opened at Sarajevo Film Festival, Locarno-premiered Erica Jong – Breaking the Wall, on the author of bestselling novel ‘Fear of Flying’.” She also flags up the culture-themed doc Mies Van Der Rohe: A Female Family Saga, and Jonas Deichmann: Breaking the Limit, which follows the titular adventurer on his trip around world in 120 triathlons.
