At the recently concluded 32nd Sheffield International Documentary Festival (Sheffield DocFest), which took place from June 18th to 23rd, two feature-length Serbian-producted documentary projects were presented as part of the market: Power, Elaine, directed and produced by Mila Turajlić (Poppy Pictures) and The Eternal Soldier directed by Aleksandar Nikolić and produced by Miloš Ivanović (Set Sail Films).
Mila Turajlić’s French-Serbian co-production was one of the award-winning projects among many applicants from all over the world.
At the award ceremony, Jamel Dallali, Manager of Production said: “The AJD Co-Production Award offers more than just funding — it’s a powerful endorsement from AJD, showing broadcasters and partners that this is a project worth supporting. For this reason, we made the decision to award two outstanding projects instead of one. After careful consideration, we are proud to announce the following:
“Gaza Sunbirds” and “Powe, Elaine”
The film Powe, Elaine is a panoramic and intimate portrait of 96-year-old Elaine Mokhtefi (née Klein), a lifelong revolutionary whose journey spans the multiple post-WW2 youth movements, indlucing the radical 1970s. From anti-Semitism in antebellum America to anti-colonial struggles in Algeria, Elaine built bridges between civil rights in the US and Third World liberation movements and ideas.
Combining archival footage, memoirs and encounters with filmed meetings and interveiws with old comrades and young activists, the film reveals the intimate relationships and bold ideals that shaped a generation which aspired to transform the world – and continues to inspire today’s struggles for global justice.
This film, with the working title “Citizens of Beauty” was supported by Film Center Serbia in the competition for co-financing minority co-productions 2024. In addition to support in France, it also received support from Visions Sud Est and Ji.hlava Film Fund. The film’s producers are Karin Čičkovski (Survivance) and Mila Turajlić (Poppy Pictures).
PHOTO: Production