30-07-2014

PRODUCTION: Mellow Mud Wraps Summer Shooting

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    PRODUCTION: Mellow Mud Wraps Summer Shooting Mellow Mud, dir. Renārs Vimba

    RIGA: Latvian director's Renārs Vimba debut feature Mellow Mud has finished its summer production shoot, producers Alise Ģelze and Aija Bērziņa said.

    Mellow Mud (Es esmu šeit), a coming of age drama, tells the story of two teenagers Rob and Raja who are forced to live with their grandmother while their mother is working abroad after their father has passed away. In the gripping drama, the death of their grandmother leaves the siblings with a tough choice: to inform the authorities and end up in an orphanage, or keep the course of their lives unchanged by keeping silent about the death.

    Vimba, a graduate of Latvian Academy of Culture (cinematography) and Baltic Media School in Tallinn (directing), outlines responsibility towards self and others as one of the main motives of his film, which will complete production in autumn. The multiple season story involved a first shooting in April. The second and the longest period of 19 days was finished recently in Riga and the eastern Latvian city of Rēzekne.

    Vimba wrote Mellow Mud's script, which, according to producers, was revised multiple times by Miguel Machalski, who has worked with Clint Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby script and Stephen Daldry's Billy Elliot. The script of Mellow Mud was developed during multiple international workshops, including Four Corners in 2011 and B'EST in 2012.

    International professionals are also members of the crew, including Icelandic cinematographer Arnar Thorisson, composer Valgeir Sigurdsson (music department and soundtrack for Lars Von Trier's Dancer in the Dark as well as Spike Jonze's Being John Malkovich) and French actor Gerard Chaillou, who was cast with Latvian actors.

    Mellow Mud is the first feature length project produced by Tasse Film, a young company established in 2011. Its members include producers Alise Ģelze, producer of the acclaimed feature Mother I Love You and Aija Bērziņa, head of the Latvian Film Council and Producers Association.

    The picture's budget is estimated at 700,000 EUR and the approximate premiere date is set for the end of 2015 or beginning of 2016.

    Teaser: http://vimeo.com/89491740