20/03/2024 - The 6 x 55min Slovak project, piloted by nutprodukcia, was honoured by the jury at the end of the Series Mania Forum pitching sessions

(l-r) Director and co-writer Tereza Nvotová, co-writer Miro Šifra, and producer Tomáš Hrubý during the Series Mania Forum (© Series Mania Forum)

Among the 15 projects selected and presented yesterday at the Co-Pro Pitching Sessions of the Series Mania Forum (read the article), the festival’s industry sidebar, the jury headed by American executive Nina Lederman (Sony Pictures Television) and completed by Italy’s Marco Chimenz (Federation Studios), the UK’s Jennifer Ebell (Fifth Season) and Karine Marelle (Starz), and Norway’s Marianne Furevold-Boland (NRK) selected the project Our People. Their statement read: "Our People is a smart, thoughtful, compelling story that enlightens and entertains while giving power to truth. We encourage the writing and producing team to pursue their goal.”

(The article continues below - Commercial information)

Produced by Jakub Viktorín and Tomáš Hrubý for Slovak company nutprodukcia, Our People (which won the award that comes with 50,000 €) will be directed by Tereza Nvotová (discovered in Rotterdam’s Bright Future competition in 2017 with Filthy [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Tereza Nvotová
film profile] and winner of the Golden Leopard in the Cineasti del presente competition in Locarno in 2022 with Nightsiren [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Tereza Nvotová
film profile]) who wrote the script together with Miro Šifra (screenwriter on We Have Never Been Modern [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Matěj Chlupáček and Miro Ši…
film profile] and the mini-series Rats among other projects).

This political drama tells the story of the murder of a journalist, which overthrows the balance of power in Slovakia. Based on real events, the story begins in February 2018. Jan and Martina, a young couple, are at home making wedding plans over dinner when they are interrupted by a knock at the door. Ján answers, and is immediately shot through the chest. Several days later, Jan and Martina’s bodies are discovered, and the motive behind their murder couldn’t be more obvious. As an investigative journalist, Ján was exposing corruption at the highest levels of national politics — was this the doing of the mafia, not wanting to compromise its ties to the prime minister? Or a local businessman, playing politics of his own? And more importantly, how will the entire country respond? On its feet, or on its knees?

(Translated from French)