Coproduction Office boards Sergei Loznitsa’s ‘Two Prosecutors’ (exclusive)

Coproduction Office has acquired Sergei Loznitsa’s Two Prosecutors, now in post following a shoot in Latvia last year, and is in talks with buyers at the EFM. 

It is the Ukrainian filmmaker’s first fiction feature since black comedy Donbass played in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard in 2018.

Based on a novel by Georgy Demidov, the film focuses on a young prosecutor who sets out to challenge a system during Stalin’s Great Terror in 1937 after discovering a letter from a prisoner that is a desperate plea for help.

The producers are Kevin Chneiweiss for France’s SBS Productions, Loznitsa’s Netherlands-based Atoms & Void, Germany’s Looks Film, Latvia’s White Picture, Romania’s Avanpost media, and Lithuania’s Studio Uljana Kim. SBS International is handling US and UK rights.

Loznitsa’s credits include a series of documentaries including The Invasion that premiered at Cannes 2024 and fiction films including Cannes competition selections My Joy in 2010, In The Fog in 2012 and A Gentle Creature in 2017.

Chneiweiss cites Loznitsa’s “exceptional, precise sense of aesthetics combined with the strength of his narratives that establish him as a filmmaker unparalleled in his craft.”

Coproduction Office founder Philippe Bober calls the director “one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary cinema.” He adds: “Sergei’s vision is singular and profoundly impactful. His ability to craft vivid, poignant and unflinching portrayals of history has earned him both critical acclaim and a dedicated audience.”  

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