18TH SOFIA MEETINGS PRESENTS
CASE STUDY: THE PLEASURE PRINCIPLE
A talk with Dariusz Jablonski and Izabela Wojcik, Producers Apple Film, Poland
22.03 / 2:30 PM CET
THE PLEASURE PRINCIPLE 10 x 56’ dir. by D. Jablonski
High-end crime series “The Pleasure Principle” – the first international television co-production between Central and Eastern European countries on such a great scale. The 10 x one hour series was produced by Apple Film Production in co-production with CANAL+ Poland, Czech TV and Star Media and directed by multi-awarded Dariusz Jablonski, shot in Warsaw, Prague, and at Odessa’s picturesque Black Sea coast, the series brought together leading talents of the three partnering countries, among them Karel Roden ("The Bourne Supremacy"), Malgorzata Buczkowska („Fugue"), Stipe Erceg ("The Baader Meinhof Complex"), and Sergey Strelnikow ("Ekaterina"). Represented on the international market by Beta Film, "The Pleasure Principle" was sold to, i.a., France, Germany (Arte), Italy (RAI, Amazon), UK, Ireland (Walter Presents), Estonia, Switzerland, Austria, Benelux, Australia, New Zealand and others. Winner of the Platinium REMI Award in the TV mini-series category of the WorldFest Film Race in Houston.
Dariusz Jablonski – producer, director, scriptwriter, founder and CEO of Apple Film, studied directing in famous Lodz Film School. After fall of communism in Eastern Europe in 1990 he became one of first independent producers in Central & Eastern Europe.
His directorial debut film PHOTOGRAPHER got over 50 international awards, Prix Europa, IDFA Grand Prix, Grimme Prize including, and is often listed as one of the most important documentaries in history. His next directorial successes: WAR GAMES – documentary full-length film and 5 episodes series about Cold War spy, and feature film STRAWBERRY WINE were shown on many international festivals, getting awards. Recently he directed ten hours international drama series THE PLEASURE PRINCIPLE which premiered in Poland June 2019 in Canal+ and November 2020 in ARTE getting great reviews.
He created master scriptwriting program ScripTeast for the best Central & Eastern European scriptwriters. He is President of Polish Film Academy and Vice-President of European Producers Club.
In addition to many film awards, he received a medal of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising from the Association of Jewish Combatants for his courage to express his own views and the Eagle of Jan Karski for speaking no to anti-Semitism.
APPLE FILM PRODUCTION
Since 1990 Apple Film produced and co-produced over 30 features, the same amount of full length documentaries and successful drama series, with almost all European countries, also with US and Canada, getting over 300 international and national awards.
Recent productions (selection):
NUMBERS dir. by O.Sentsov, with 435 Films (UA), Czech Television (CZ), Hubert Bals Fund (NL) – Berlinale Special, Berlin 2020;
DOVLATOV dir. by A.German with Saga Film (RU), Art and Popcorn (CS), Eurimages - Silver Bear IFF Berlin 2018;
WHEN TREES FALL dir. by M.Nikitiuk with Directory Films (UA), Focus In (MK) - Panorama IFF Berlin 2018;
THE TRIAL – THE STATE OF RUSSIA VS. OLEG SENTSOV dir. by A.Kurov with Marx Film (EE) – Special Screening IFF Berlin 2016;
UNDER ELECTRIC CLOUDS dir. by A.German with Metrafilms (RU), Linked Films (UA) - Silver Bear IFF Berlin 2015;
SPIES OF WARSAW 4 x 45’ dir. by C.Giedroyc with Fresh Pictures (UK), BBC, TVP, BBC Worldwide, BBC America, ARTE;
THE PASSING BELLS 5 x 30’ dir. by B.Maher with Red Planet Pictures (UK), BBC, TVP1
MAYA DARDELL with Greyshack Films (US), Shipwreck(US).