BECOME A FACEBOOK FAN!

Hello dear BELLADONIANS!!
With only 5 days until I depart for INDIA as BELLADONNA is in the INDIAN INTERNATIONAL FILM COMPETITION you might want to join us on facebook by becoming a fan and have a sneak peak of news and photos straight from the festival!

See you there

Hooray ANNIKA

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BELLADONNA the movie

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Second BELLADONNA past life film competition winner!!

There are many ways to express the same idea!! I'd like to really thank Marcella McMahon from the US who has made a film for our BELLADONNA competition!! Congratulations!! and deep thanks.. I hope you all enjoy it.

ANNIKA

First BELLADONNA past life film competition winner!!

Dear Belladonnians

We have had a wonderful response to the "who were you in a past life" Competition. And we have chosen two very different films.. So the first winning entry comes form Julie Wougn from Canada..CONGRATULATIONS JULIE!!!!
Thank you to everyone who sent in their entries and tomorrow we will announce winning entry number 2.
There is lots of news happening here so stay tuned!!

Cherio ANNIKA

BELLADONNA COMPETITION NEW DEADLINE!

Greeting!! We have had requests from some wonderful creative people asking to extend the deadline which we have to the
20th of September!

Cherio ANNIKA

P.S For all the details see the below entry.

WIN actual film frames from BELLADONNA

Hello everyone!!
I have been somewhat busy, as we are = closer to BELLADONNAS World Wide introduction. We have just signed a deal with a US based SALES Agent (they are great) which gives us the opportunity to focus our efforts in Australia and Poland!!
I wanted to mark the week of BELLADONNA'S exciting deal,with something very unique -especially for you. A COMPETITION! yes can you believe it? We have sections of a 35mm film print of BELLADONNA, which we would like to give away as prizes,they are precious 'one off' hand selected strips of 11 frames, before the official release of the film! (I have a frame of 'Singing in the Rain' hanging on my window which I really love)
HOW DO YOU WIN ONE? well all you have to do is make a 1 minute video, (as straight to camera or artistic as you like) sharing any feeling or thoughts as to who you 'may' have been in a past life?.... and the most inspirational.. funny.. committed wins! and gets posted on the BELLADONNA the movie website and FACEBOOK page ( only if you like to ) So please e-mail me your wonderful creations to info@glasskingdom.com.au. I can't wait to watch them, and thank you for your wonderful wishes ANNIKA

BELLADONNA at the SHANGHAI FILM FESTIVAL

Wow what a thrill and a breath of fresh air!!

Sometimes a situation becomes clearer by the experience of its opposite. It took 11,000m amongst the clouds of China for me to wake up to the full bodied experience that was CANNES.
Cannes for us was about navigating our way around all the doom gloom panic that underpinned alot the film industry/the market ,I guess a reflection of the world financial situation and a feeling that something is changing in the whole belly of the beast.
Glamorous, traditional ( bordering on conservative) beautiful and sometimes very ugly... intense, sweet...
Paolo Coelho has recently written a book about the Cannes festival called "The winner stands alone" If you'd like to read a free chapter you can go to his website http://www.paulocoelho.com. I was too scared to read the book before Cannes just in case it coloured my experience, now I think I'm too scared to read it just in case it confirms the feeling. For BELLADONNA the whole experience was necessary and positive as it gained International interest and as received exposure which is now leading us into interesting territories.. more on that later.
When I look back on the most talented people I have known who chose not to pursue their creative expression, and I reflect on the reasons why there are so few second time filmmaker (especially in Australia) it would have to relate this very situation.
The mix of money power and glamour is certainly a heady one. It makes humans forget the very essence of their being.It becomes a game of dark magic not light creativity which you either choose to play or not, and thus the exit sign for alot of artist who simply can't see themselves in this environment.
So when the opportunity to have the Asian premiere of BELLADONNA in Shanghai came along I was excited for the film but unsure of what that meant for me.... Well.... it was a gift... and enormous amount of fun. I feel honoured, and my Spirits are restored both for humanity and creativity. I, like many, had reservations about what to expect from China, but our whole experience was met by gentle, open, wise people who were at a turning point in their lives.

After BELLADONNA'S opening, we had the Q & A where the audience asked wonderful, insightful and brave questions about the theme of the movie. "Do you think you can really have images from other lives come through your dreams?"
One of the most poignant moments for me was when our interpreter (a young woman Cici) was telling us how much she enjoyed the film, and her favourite line was ....( pause as she though of it) " That somehow we are all profoundly linked to one another"...

Shanghai is a huge festival and one of the biggest in Asia. The Jury consisted of Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire), Andy MacDowell, Xavier Koller, Jianxin Huang etc
Alots the European countries had huge delegations of Sales Agents, Film Funding representatives.Their Embassies throwing impressive occasionsto foster the Chinese and build international relationship (we attended the German who which was impressive to say the least) There is a feeling, kind of like champagne bubbles where anything is possible... how exciting.
A big thank you to the Australian Consulate especially Tom Conner, Dene Yeaman, and the Australian Trade Commission for throwing a wonderful party for us, and the other filmmakers whose films featured in the festival.
Finally...just as it took us to go to Poland to meet a Producer who lives around the corner from us, it took a trip to Shanghai to meet w fellow independent filmmaker ( who also lives around the corner) Pene Patrick who has made a film called Playing for Charlie, coming out soon.... Thank you and keep visiting here as it is all unfolding beautifully!! ANNIKA

BELLADONNA and the wrap from Cannes!!

Hi Everyone!! We have returned from Cannes... yes and almost recovered! what an extravaganza! The Festival and the Market was an event to behold and very good for BELLADONNA. We met some wonderful people had great meetings and are getting very close to the films release! I'll report more on the ins and out of whats happening at Cannes and the state of the Film world a little later for now you will have to enjoy Marcus's starring role in his own movie.. this is what happens on day 8 of the market when things become somewhat delirious!!

Also the very exciting news is that on Saturday we are off to SHANGHAI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL as BELLADONNA is opening the Australian representation! A red carpet affair...we are very excited! as our little film is having its Asian PREMIERE!!

Over and out for now! Annika

BELLADONNA Epsiode 3 Casting for Stars

Yes its true!!

We are off to the wonderous place Called Europe.... Antwerp, Germany Paris and Cannes... lots of meetings and great amount of fun!

Here is our 3rd episode of BELLADONNA land I hope you enjoy it!!!

Loads of great wishes
ANNIKA and MARCUS

BELLADONNA Episode no 2 Film Secrets

Hello Lovely People!!

Yes we are off on our O/S adventure very very soon!! Cannes here we come!! Lots of people to meet at the market.... no no not the fruit market the FILM MARKET... we will have videos of our adventure so stay tuned!!! I will be on TWITTER with all the up to date details!

So... here is the Second Episode with BOBBY FLYNN the wonderful artist who has contributed some music to the film soundtrack if you want to find out more about him go to www.bobbyflynn.com.

We are a small team here at the BELLADONNA LAND and if you would like to help, these are something you could do!
1. Let other people know about the film...and encourage them to register with us at http://www.belladonnathemovie.com, as there are 'internal goodies on offer'
2. If you are on FACEBOOK invite others to join us there!! and maybe join yourself
3. Be Happy and do what you love to do!!
4. Suggest ways of letting the whole world knowing about the film.

Over and out from the BELLADONNA LAND
Annika

BELLADONNA Episode no 1. FIlm secrets!

LAUNCHING!!! Yes.... here we go!!
Episode 1. CAN YOU HEAR THE KISS?

BELLADONNA the creative process

I couldn't resist this..inspirational.. for all. Please watch it
ANNIKA

Filmmakers Independents Independence

Change is a constant in life, but the rate of change sure is variable. In the last year changes seem to have reached a crescendo. Climate, Economic, Political, Technological and Social changes seem to be interacting in a kind of maelstrom. With no time to fully integrate new things into any system, a new kind of constant adaptability becomes the way situations are addressed and solved. Todays solution is only valid for today, tomorrow the context will be different.
One of the victims of this is the illusion of certainty.
The challenge for the independent filmmaker in extracting every drop of value from a budget is to make use of this changing landscape. Digital image / sound capture and post production are one of the most obvious areas for increased accessibility and cost saving. The path previously to a high quality image included film, processing, one light prints for editing, etc etc, all of which had high unit costs and specific hardware and arcane skills that were the domain of specialists. Digital democratisation means the computer you write the script on can in a pinch , be your edit station and post house. Relatively affordable cameras like the Red one with slr lenses are one of the main missing pieces in this puzzle.
It is finally feasible for an independent filmmaker to own all the machinery of production (Sounds like the beginning of a Marxist analysis), not just to make a film but a seamlessly high quality one. Owning the the tools doesn't make you an instant expert , but allows unbelievable flexibility in choosing options and a kind of unstoppable ability, with a small team, to get a project finished.
This is a new kind of immersive full contact filmmaking, its not perfect for every project but makes new kinds of projects possible. The upside is control and the ability to experiment and tweak, the downside is constant education and long long hours. ( incidentally not really downsides if you love what your doing, which is the only reason I can imagine for being a filmmaker.)
So its a kind of revolution, a revolution of possibilities in a world of uncertainties. In a world of change there are no shortage of interesting and relevant stories. And then there is the internet and the possible future of independent online distribution.
Bring it on.
Get to it.

BELLADONNA how does it all happen?

Hi All Happy 2009!!

How amazing that it is already February, here in BELLADONNA land its go go go, and we have some really wonderful stories lined up. Over the last few months I've received many e-mail about the whole 'creative process' how do you do it?... what are the practical steps but also starting to talk about the 'magic' of creativity. How a thought can become manifest... I 'm really passionate about this because it extends to everything we create from our a cake to a film to your life. Also filmmakers WATCH OUT FOR THE ORANGE TEXT this is directly to do with information about the technical do's and don't (well from my perspective) and GREEN as Marcus Blogs about his experience with the RED CAMERA. Also we have made some wonderful creative friends along the way which I want to introduce to you, they are wild, collaborative and fabulous in their intent and how it is expressed in the world. First thing is first few of you have asked about the rehearsal process.. . here is a list of why I think its vitally important to rehearse.

1.Actors , no matter how famous ,are humans who have particular ways of working... some love to rehearse and block the action for hours and some don't. The rehearsal process is a time where you get to know how bring out the best qualities forward.
2. ON SET everything is very much heightened.. time of precious.. everything must go to a schedule.. everyone is standing by... it is rarely a time where things can be explored and beautiful moments found.. if an actor doesn't feel safe you'll see it and feel it.
3. This I think is a key one... some actors get better with every take... while others get it on the first or second take and then start to feel frustrated.The rehearsal period is the time to find that out, and find a way to work around it.
4. Personally I think one of the most wonderful ways to work with is to paraphrase. It means that they use their own words instead of the scripted words... that way it becomes very clear for both actor and director when the intention of the scene is really understood. Questions such as: how can we make this clearer.? does it need to be re written? or understood in a wider context.?
5. I like to work with physical exercises at the beginning to get the body moving. Yoga.. voice.. breathing... relaxation...
6. Finally, rehearsal is a time where you can discover, play, make mistakes.. and build trust.. which is essential...because once you 're on set... surrounded by people expecting you to "GET IT' make up artist powdering.. sound people pealing back the layers of your clothing to attach the mics , lights and extras, it is tricky to find your centre the bubble of trust that allows the magic to happen.
7. If as a Producer or Director you're not convinced or sure just put yourself in the actors shoes...and then remind yourself that the film relies on the actors ability to convey the character authentically...and that authenticity I think can only blossom when there is respect flowing both ways. Take the time.

BELLADONNA more then just a Movie

Dearest All

The trailer for BELLADONNA is almost ready hooray!!! it has been somewhat tricky (as I have mentioned before) Marcus is colour grading it and and is doing a fabulous job! As I have been reflecting on the last 2 years I came across this lecture which I wanted to share with you(below) because it dares to ask a really interesting question. What would you give your last lecture on?( I know 'tiss a season to be jolly' but stay with me) because I think ultimately refining the really important impulses in our lives is what brings focus joy and purpose. So I asked myself Annika what would your last lecture be about? It would be about the utter goodness of humans, courage,and the personal and social contract that we all are a part of.
The Making of BELLADONNA really was an experiment, in what humans can do together. The film is shot on a modest budget and alot of what you'll see on the screen is literally given in form of creativity, knowledge, time, effort and skills. So much intensely hard work went into this project and it was a collective effort. A truly collective effort filled with goodness. Yes at the end of the day we have a beautiful film but what an honour having experienced it first hand.

BELLADONNA what's in a name?

Greetings friends!!

People often ask me about the name BELLADONNA why? what does it mean where did it come from? Well once upon a time in a land far far away..(or at least 2 years ago) I was refining thescreenplay in which the 16th Century lead character Jadwiga,is a herbalist, and back then it wasn't so easy to be one as they were considered to be witches. So I researched the commonly used herbs back in the 16th Century and here are just a few:
Butterfly weed, Lady’s Mantle, St. John's Wort, Foxglove, Belladonna, Dwarf Iris
Evening Primrose and many more....
Can you imagine a film called "Dwarf Iris"? or Lady's Mantle? or St. John's Wort? (that could be a nice dark sort of children's fairytale about St John)so I did come to the conclusion that BELLADONNA was pretty good... Lily of the Valley was the second favourite.

In the past, it was believed that witches used a mixture of belladonna, opium poppy, and other plants, typically poisonous (such as monkshood and poison hemlock) in flying ointment they applied to help them fly to gatherings with other witches... Ohh dear imagination and all that fear.. and all those women who were drowned and burnt because of their relationships with nature.

The common name BELLADONNA originates from its historic use by women - Bella Donna is Italian for beautiful lady. Drops prepared from the belladonna plant were used to dilate women's pupils, an effect considered attractive, but also incredibly dangerous as the dose between beauty and death was unknown.

Belladonna is one of the most toxic plants found in the Western hemisphere. All parts of the plant contain tropane alkaloids. When we arrived in Poland in April to shoot the 16th Century part we wanted to find the actual plant with flowers as it is fareasier easier to use the real instead of making each flower individually. We missed the flowering season my 6 weeks, and had to make each individual flower by hand. The Production Designer and the Art department made them out of rose petals..(as they had to be eatable) hand painting every flower with purple food dye.
Have a look some of the photos below.


Annika

P.S Belladonna the movie is now on FACEBOOK, and if you are a fan here please join us there we are new and would love some company.

Katia Mazurek who plays Jadwiga was incredibly wonderful this day.. as most of the day she had to sit in the cold ditch eating the flowers..this shot was particularly tricky as it involved a descending camera, snow and perfect timing of all action.