Four projects by female-identifying documentary filmmakers developed as part of the CIRCLE Women Doc Accelerator programme will be presented at Cannes Docs

Ever Since I Knew Myself by Maka Gogaladze

CIRCLE Women Doc Accelerator, an exclusive training programme for female-identifying documentary filmmakers, has selected the four projects that will take part in its showcase as part of the Cannes Docs programme of the Marché du Film (16-24 May) for the fourth consecutive year. Previous winners include Lin Alluna's Twice Colonized [+see also:
film review
interview: Lin Alluna
interview: Lin Alluna
film profile], Ágnes Horváth-Szabó and Anna Nemet’s Beauty of the Beast, and Maja Prelog's Cent’anni.

Ever Since I Knew Myself by Maka Gogaladze follows Maka, the daughter of a strict Maths teacher and high-maintenance mother, on her journey around post-Soviet Georgia to observe children in the process of education. Gogaladze is producing through Georgia's Formo Production, with Anke Petersen and Lilian Tietjen serving as co-producers for Germany's Jyoti Film.

Rebeladas by Andrea Gautier and Tabatta Salinas centres on the “Cine Mujer”, a group of women filmmakers who gathered 40 years ago to make films dealing with taboo subjects, such as gender violence, rape, femicide, clandestine abortion and labour discrimination. It is a co-production between Dafne Espinosa and Julio Fernández for Perro Rojo Films (Mexico), and Manuel Diaz, Juan Gautier and Andrea Gautier for Smiz and Pixel (Spain).

In 72 Hours by Anna Savchenko, a woman’s life has been incomplete ever since her son was wrongfully accused, sentenced to death and executed within a year. From a grieving mother, she transforms into a symbol of the struggle against the death penalty. It is being produced by Isabel de la Serna for Playtime Films in Belgium and Jean-Marie Gigon for Sanosi Films in France, in co-production with Volia Chajkouskaya for Volia Films (Estonia).

Tata, written and directed by Lina Vdovîi and Radu Ciorniciuc (Acasă - My Home [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Radu Ciorniciuc
film profile]), tells the story of a journalist who discovers that her long-estranged father, who was violent to her as a child, is now the person being abused. Tata is being produced by Monica Lazurean Gorgan for Manifest Film (Romania), Erik Winker for Corso Film (Germany) and Olivia Sophie van Leeuwen for HALAL (Netherlands).

“Through the past three editions, the partnership with Cannes Docs has flourished and provided us with a valuable platform to showcase the outstanding films of our alumnae. CIRCLE projects previously showcased at Cannes have gone on to achieve major success at international film festivals, propelling the careers of their directors forwards and bringing women to the forefront of the documentary industry,” says CIRCLE programme director Biljana Tutorov. “This year’s showcase highlights four auteurs whose films intertwine deeply personal stories with the wider political landscapes that frame and determine them, showcasing a variety of directorial and cinematic approaches.”

CIRCLE is co-funded by the European Union’s Creative Europe – MEDIA programme, and is organised by Wake Up Films (Serbia) in partnership with Creative Europe - MEDIA, the When East Meets West Co-pro Forum, Cannes Docs - Marché du Film, Documentary Association of Europe (DAE), European Women's Audiovisual Network (EWA), International Emerging Film Talent Association (IEFTA), Cineuropa, CED - MEDIA Office Croatia, CED - MEDIA Office Slovenia, Motovila, the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Serbia, the Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival/Agora Docs, DOK Leipzig, International Documentary Film Festival Beldocs and EURODOC.

Here is the full list of projects taking part:

Ever Since I Knew Myself - Maka Gogaladze (Georgia/Germany)
Producers: Maka Gogaladze (Formo Production), Anke Petersen, Lilian Tietjen (Jyoti Film)

Rebeladas - Andrea Gautier, Tabatta Salinas (Mexico/Spain)
Producers: Dafne Espinosa, Julio Fernández (Perro Rojo Films), Manuel Diaz, Juan Gautier, Andrea Gautier (Smiz and Pixel)

72 Hours - Anna Savchenko (Belgium/France/Estonia)
Producers: Isabel de la Serna (Playtime Films), Jean-Marie Gigon (Sanosi Films), Volia Chajkouskaya (Volia Films)

Tata - Lina Vdovîi, Radu Ciorniciuc (Romania/Germany/Netherlands)
Producers: Monica Lazurean Gorgan (Manifest Film), Erik Winker (Corso Film), Olivia Sophie van Leeuwen (HALAL)