Ginger and Fed has acquired French filmmaker Anissa Bonnefont’s La Scala: The Force Of Destiny, a behind-the-scenes immersive look at the Milan Opera House, and has revealed a first-look here at the EFM.
Produced by Federation Studios’ Myriam Weil and MDE Films’ Francesco Melzi d’Eril, the film follows preparation for the staging of Verdi’s opera as 900 people work to perfect the annual December 7 opening day performance. It is now in post.
“The film is designed for a theatrical cinema experience,” says Sabine Chemaly, head of international film sales at Ginger and Fed, part of Federation Studios. “The ambition is to reach opera lovers, but expand to wider audiences and democratise the traditionally elite spectacle.”
“The director and producers had access that La Scala had never granted before. Anissa [Bonnefont]’s camera is one metre from the actors as they’re rehearsing.”
Ginger & Fed is selling the documentary arm in arm with Federation’s full teams, with Ilan Sarfati heading up broadcasting sales.
“We really want to combine our strengths for this film -we’re in a moment in distribution when we have to be agile and adapt, so we’re taking a hybrid approach to this title on a country by country basis. The ambition is to reach opera lovers, but expand to wider audiences and democratise the traditionally elite spectacle,” Chemaly suggests.
Bonnefont’s feature credits include Wonder Boy about Balmain creative director Olivier Rousteing, Nadia about Afghan refugee turned pro soccer player Nadia Nadim, also produced by Myriam Weil and sold by Federation Studios, and fiction feature La Maison starring Ana Girardot.
“I filmed [La Scala: The Force Of Destiny] like a film for a big screen with Dolby Atmos sound and vivid visuals. I want the audience to be completely immersed,” says Bonnefont who shot with up to five camera crews at a time to capture every angle of the production.
It is the first-ever feature film documentary commissioned by Rai Documentari and France Télévisions.
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