Polish production company Gigant Films will remake Titas Laucius’ feature debut, “Parade.” It will start shooting this year under the working title “Divorcees” (“Rozwodnicy”)
The Lithuanian film, inspired by Laucius’ own family, world premiered at Tallinn Black Night Film Festival in November. It sees Miglė, whose ex-husband, after years of living apart, wants to remarry in church. In order to do so, the long-divorced couple needs to get an annulment. Suddenly, they are faced with a church tribunal investigating their past. And their own memories.
“When I first heard about this project, and then watched the film, I saw the potential for feel-good comedy,” said producer Radosław Grabik.
“Poland [as a predominantly Catholic country] feels like a great fit for this story. We won’t be demonizing the clergy, but we want to gently mock the hypocrisy of everyone involved. Including all these people who claim to care about church weddings, even though they aren’t even religious,” said Grabik.
Aleksander Pietrzak is in talks to direct, with regular collaborators Łukasz Światowiec, Michał Chaciński and Grabik developing the script.
A new take will be more commercially viable, he assured. And “even funnier.”
“I want to make ambitious entertainment for people, not for festivals.”
While also listed as a co-producer on arthouse animation “Kill It and Leave This Town,” Grabik already scored a local hit with romantic comedy “Planet Single,” which launched a successful trilogy and a Canal+ miniseries. It was also remade in Lithuania in 2020 as “Tobulas Pasimatymas.”
“It’s a complete coincidence that I’m responsible for both of these remakes,” laughed Grabik.
“In Lithuania, people always complain about local scripts. They argue that we should buy them instead, which we do — also from Poland,” said producer Klementina Remeikaitė of Afterchool, behind the original film.
Remeikaitė is currently in Berlin with “Parade,” which is showi at EFM virtual market screenings. She is also developing “Drowning Dry” by Laurynas Bareisa — his follow-up to “Pilgrims,” awarded in Venice — and Marat Sargsyan’s “The Grand Inquisitor.”
“These films are completely different: in style, themes and genre. That’s what inspires me the most about filmmaking. The uniqueness of the subject matter, the courage of the directors and knowing why they do it,” she added.
“Parade” will be released in Lithuania in March.
“We got to know each other with Radosław and we understood his goal [with the film]. I am so excited to see this new take. It belongs to them now.”
Justyna Koronkiewicz from sales company Media Move, who oversaw the deal, said: “When I saw the project pitched in Tallinn in 2021, I fell in love instantly. Even though I haven’t had experience with remake rights sales at that point, I felt it was a perfect idea to explore. Comedies don’t tend to travel well as they rely heavily on local casts, but this concept can make an international splash.”
There might be even more local versions developed in the future, she said.
“We all work hand in hand to secure that. And I myself have decided to expand into remake sales after this amazing journey.”
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