European Documentary Network

EDN examples of 2-page documentary presentations What should my treatment include? Is my synopsis too long? Should I include pictures? Is it by any means possible to present a docucumentary project within 2 pages? Well, to help you along with some of these questions, we have taken these four examples of 2-page presentations of documentary projects and made them available for you. Hopefully they will be of guidance to you in your further work with writing a 2-page presentation of your documentary project. While reading these presentations, please have in mind that they only serve as examples on how to present a documentary project. The way, shape and form is very much depending on your specific project. However, when you do a 2-page presentation you always want to include the following: - title, name of producer, production company and director, length, format - synopsis - treatment with visual approach & reflections on the narrative - the total budget amount - a brief financing plan - production plan/time of delivery - short CV & filmography of company and director - contact details on producer/production company and/or director And please remember that the people you are sending your project presentation to most like receive hundreds of other project presentations. Therefore make sure that all the pages included have you contact details on the bottom of the page. Thanks to Xabier Berzosa, IRUSOIN; Fredrik Gertten, WG Film; Karoline Leth, Zentropa Real and Florentine Waiblinger, Nuvola Film for letting us use their project presentations as examples. Best wishes for writing your documentary project presentation EDN Staff

EDN examples of 2-page documentary presentations

LUCIO
The Good Bandit Produced by: Xabier Berzosa - IRUSOIN (Spain) & MORIARTI (Spain). Menotti Bucco - MBFILMS (Italy). Directors: Jose Mari Goenaga & Aitor Arregi Length and format: 52 & 80 - HD 35 mm

Synopsis
There are plenty of anarchists in the world. Many have committed robbery or smuggling for their cause. Fewer have discussed strategies with Che Guevara or saved the skin of Eldridge Cleaver the leader of the Black Panthers. There is only one who has done all that, and also brought to its knees the most powerful bank on the planet by forging travellers cheques, without missing a single day of work in his construction job. He is Lucio Urtubia, from a tiny village in Navarra in North of Spain. Lucio, 75, now lives in Paris, still raising anarchist hell. Lucio has been protagonist and witness to many of the historic events of the second half of the 20th century. His family was persecuted by Francos regime, he was on the streets of Paris for the phenomenon of May of 68, he actively supported Castros revolution, he helped thousands of exiled people by providing false documents to them But without a doubt, his greatest triumph came in the second half of the seventies. The press called him the good bandit , or the Basque Zorro. He managed to swindle 25 million dollars from the First National Bank (now Citibank), to later invest the money in causes he believed in. Miraculously, he spend no more than a few months in jail throughout his career.

Directors Vision

The story of Lucio Urtubia is not black or white, he is not a villain or hero. We will combine the character who is completely idealized by his comrades, with the one that got people fired by the First National Bank after the false cheques affair. What there is no doubt about is that Lucio has had an incredible and thrilling life. That is why our documentary is going to be told like a thriller, with points of no return, surprises and turning points.
The backbone of this documentary will be Lucios life. We will take Lucio back to many of the different places he has lived (Navarra, Paris) and visited (London, Amsterdam).
Contact: Xabier Berzosa berzosa@irusoin.com +34 943 317695 +34 616 677244

EDN examples of 2-page documentary presentations

LUCIO
The Good Bandit
We will portray the diversity of stages of Lucios life: the young smuggler, the one who robbed and kidnapped bankers without missing a single day of work, the one who saved the life of many refugees and the man who headed the offensive against the Citibank, all that combined together with images of Lucios life now: a man who still fights for his ideals through the Cultural Center he built and enjoys chatting with people who visit him. We will use the best personal and public archive materials (photos, footage, news clips, sound recordings, official records,) and interviews from key role people in the plot (relatives, friends, lawyers, anarchists, policemen, politicians, bankers, refugees, printers,).

We want the documentary to transmit the essence of what Lucio is: determination, slyness and passion.

Directors C.V.
Aitor Arregi has undertaken various projects in the audio-visual field. As founder and associate member of Moriarti Produkzioak he has directed several TV spots and multimedia projects. He is the director and scriptwriter of the internationally sold documentary Sahara Marathon (PBS - USA, YLE -Finland, VPRO - Holland, Canal + Poland, TV3 - Catalonia, TV2 Denmark, SBS Australia).

Jose Mari Goenaga. In 2002 he directed Tercero B a thrilling shortfilm that won more than 45 prizes in several festivals. He has co-written the script and directed the animation long feature film Supertramps nominated by the Spanish Film Academy in 2004 as best animation feature film. Budget: 450.000
% 27% 4% 23% 54% 46% 100% TOTAL 120.000,00 ! 20.000,00 ! 102.000,00 ! 242.000,00 ! 208.000,00 ! 450.000,00 !

ICAA Spanish Ministry of Culture Basque Government ETB - Basque Broadcaster SUBTOTAL Looking for TOTAL
Contact: Xabier Berzosa berzosa@irusoin.com +34 943 317695 +34 616 677244

FINANCIAL PLAN

EDN examples of 2-page documentary presentations

EDN examples of 2-page documentary presentations

EDN examples of 2-page documentary presentations

BECOMING A GUERRILLA GIRL

55 / 90 min. documentary

ABSTRACT
BECOMING A GUERRILLA GIRL is a film about images of terror and enemies - but even more a humane story from a foreign world. A propelling story about a young middle-class girl from the big city, who enlists to the guerrilla in Colombias jungle and goes through three months of basic training to become a guerrilla. It is a spectacular, poetic and controversial film that portrays the person behind the image, that the western world calls terrorist.

PRODUCERS STATEMENT Three month in the jungle

This is one of the craziest projects I have ever encountered. Here we have a young Danish director, Frank Piasecki Poulsen, who had a burning wish to travel deep into the Colombian jungle to make a story about the guerrilla. Nobody wanted to believe Frank, neither that he could get access, nor that he would return to Denmark alive. Everybody warned him about kidnapping and being killed. Nobody was willing to take the risk, pay the insurance or invest in this young directors utopian project. So Frank Piasecki Poulsen decided to set off and shoot the footage on his own. He left in October 2003 with his friend Johannes, who would be his assistant and interpreter. He succeeded in establishing contact to the guerrilla, gaining full access. Even Oliver Stone could not get this close when he tried to get access to FARC. Carrying their equipment on their backs, Frank and Johannes wandered deep into the jungle for several days, to a top-secret-location where the guerrilla has training courses for the new recruits. Here they where given new names like all the other newly arrived. Everybody actually takes on a new identity upon arrival to the camp.

EDN examples of 2-page documentary presentations

Each time a new recruit arrived at the camp, Frank went out to the path leading to the camp, and this is where he did his casting. He managed to find exactly the main character that he had imagined from home: The middle-class girl from the big city. Frank and Johannes stayed with the guerrilla for three months. Slept in small shelters, ate the dull food, dragged their equipment with them to the training exercises and shot their scenes. Frank was the photographer, soundman and director. He gradually learned how to speak Spanish and therefore grew closer to his cast. The most amazing part was that he actually succeeded in capturing the entire training course of the main character, which ended with her being handed over a weapon and thereby becoming a part of FARC.

Frank Piasecki Poulsen & The film

This director has his curiosity with him along with the will to meet the world. Even a distant world we know nothing about and only have sporadic conceptions or weak prejudices about. Frank has been able to focus on the human story and not be diverted by complex political problems. This enables us to meet a different culture. A different language. A different reality. Frank has the courage to look upon the world and its inhabitants with a personal view. Before Frank left he decided that all the footage should be shot with a tripod. A decision he stood by and which gives this material a unique sense of calmness and familiarity. When I see this material, I see a confident narrator and director whom, with intimacy and a sincere interest, creates a humane story of development in an exotic environment. At the same time, this unknown environment is portrayed through curious eyes and the viewer is enabled to identify with a main character, who they normally would never sense a connection with. The viewer is there with her, both in sense of parent and child. We see when the main character writes her goodbye-letter to her parents, when she tries to hide her doubts and tears with a smile. And not least when she can not manage to cut down a tree, or climb a rope over a river and is tired, when she must make breakfast for the group at four oclock in the morning.

Finishing the film

The most remarkable thing is that the story took place right before Franks eyes. He got all his expectations of the story, home with him on tape. This means that we at this moment have 60 hours of material for a final film. And it is without doubt controversial and spectacular material we are dealing with here. Cinematic and dynamic, with a fascinating and identifiable main character that goes through ordinary everyday crisises, way out in Colombias jungle. We are now facing the editing-process, and we are most fortunate that well-known Danish editing team Camilla Skousen and Morten Hjbjerg (THE FIVE OBSTRUCTIONS by Lars von Trier and Jrgen Leth) are very eager to do this film. I believe that this unique combination of virtuoso editors with long-time and universal experience and a young, technically skilled and experimental director will give this film and its director exactly what it needs. Karoline Leth, Producer

EDN examples of 2-page documentary presentations

In the heart of Tuscany a mosque is going to be built:

A MOSQUE IN TUSCANY
La Moschea e la Badia

Production: Nuvola Film Line Production: DinamoFilm Director: Clemente Bicocchi Producer: Amedeo Bacigalupo Development: Florentine Waiblinger Lenght: 52 THE STORY Near the town of Colle Val dElsa, there is a field of trees and shrubs surrounded by the ploughed slopes of the Tuscan countryside. A calm and peacful place, filled with the beauty of ancient traditions. A man now stands in the field: he has round glasses, a thin beard and thick, dark curls. His name is Feras Jabareen and he comes from Palestine. He is talking to a friend. His arms outline invisible lines and immaginary angles. Several people look on from the neighboring houses., intrigued by the mans strange gestures. The minaret will be here and the prayer room there, says Feras. Feras Jabareen is the Imam of the islamic community of Colle Val dElsa. He has been living there since 1989, working as a Doctor. The field he is standing on is the land that the Islamic community has rented from the town, to build a mosque and create a meeting point for all the Muslims of the region (there are approximately 1500 from 16 different countries). Until now the muslim community was using a small room for praying. Nobody complained. The recent enlargment of the community caused the necessity of having a bigger space. With the decision to move muslims lost their invisibility; people started to worry and a conflict raised between the citizens. The majority of the construction companies contacted are in the hands of muslims, whose workforce is made up of Italians, Albanians, Rumanians and, of course, Arabs. I dont mind whether its a mosque or a supermarket: the important thing is having a job! says Gianni Lo Dico, 30 year-old Italian from Calabria. Maybe integration will start on the multiethnic building site. Working together breaks down barriers. According to the project architect, the construction of the mosque, a building of over 550 square meters, will take about one year. Colle Val dElsa is a small city near Florence, surrounded by magnificent hilly countryside, famous throughout the world. It is a rich city, traditionally liberal and progressive. The majority of the inhabitants are voting for the left wing (the right-wing and racist party Lega Nord has got only 30 members in this zone) and the muslim community seemed to be well integrated. Since the decision of the township to build the new mosque and after September 11th with all its consequences, things began to change: Leonardo Fiore and other neighbours started a petition against the construction of the mosque. In Leonardos opinion his house in front of the Islamic Cultural Center will loose value. I am not against muslims, but I prefer having a park than a mosque in front of my house, he says. The old left-wing supporter Leonardo Fiore is now feeling betrayed by the local politicians. His internal confilct is a perfect example of what is going on in the village.

EDN examples of 2-page documentary presentations

Through the main characters Feras Jabareen, Gianni Lo Dico and Leonardo Fiore, we want to portray the complexity of three worlds and how theyre linked together: how will Gianni try to keep good relations with neighbors during the construction? How will Leonardo deal with his mixed feelings? How Jabareen will face the muslims that prefer to remain invisible rather to have a new building just for themselves? Approximately one year seperates the Imam from the achievment of his dream: From an empty field to a mosque everything that happens from now until the inauguration is a story that deserves to be told. MOTIVATIONS AND VISUAL APPROACH When we heard that a mosque was going to be built in the heart of the Tuscan countryside we immediately grasped the possibility to tell a story that contains important current issues like integration, tolerance, the coexistence of different cultures and fear. Dealing with these problems that regard the entire world through a small story is an opportunity which cant be missed. Citizens of Colle Val dElsa became aware of our project and have welcomed us enthusiastically, so we are in the privileged situation to have the exclusive access to film. Living and working very close to Colle Val dElsa gives us the possibility to keep in touch with the people from the village. Behind a revolutionary event for the community of Colle Val dElsa, different stories will be developed, following small actions, particulars, humang beings, ecc This does, of course, take time. During approximately one year we will be there for a long amount of time, trying to be part of that place, to grasp things that only an inner view allows. But we are not dealing just with human beings: the changing of the space takes also an important role. Step by step, a Tuscan landscape will be completely different. BUDGET AND FINANCIAL PLAN Source of finance Financials name P Private and regional Funds Mediateca Toscana P Producers investment Nuvola Film Ammount required from co-productions, sales etc. T TOTAL Ammount in Status 35.000 Confirmed 10.000 C Confirmed 135.000 180.000

CLEMENTE BICOCCHI Born in 1973 in Florence, graduated in Arts and Literature at the University of Florence. He studied film in New York (NYU) and Barcelona (Master in Creative Documentary). In 2003 he graduated at Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia (National Film Academy) in Rome. Since 1996 he has been working as director, author, director of photography and editor for several documentaries, short and experimental films that have been shown in major european film festivals. AMEDEO BACIGALUPO (NUVOLA FILM) Born in 1969 in Rome, degree in Business and Economics at the University of Rome in 1994. Since 1999 he produced several short films, feature films (ALL THE ACKNOWLEDGE OF THE WORLD by Eros Puglielli 2001, Berlinale; MY BROTHERS SUMMER by Pietro Reggiani 2005, Tribeca Film Festival) and documentaries (e.g. THE CHILDREN OF OPEN CITY by Laura Muscardin 2005, Tribeca Film Festival) for Nuvola Film. The workshops Hands on camera at the NY Film Academy, Arista and Facts widened his professional education.

EDN examples of 2-page documentary presentations