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The Russian film-maker and producer discusses their latest documentary, which receives its international premiere at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.
Russian film-maker Vitaliy Manskiy is not one to shy away from controversy. His notable successes include hard-hitting documentaries Pipeline (aka Truba) that won Karlovy's 2013 Best Documentary Award, Motherland or Death and Rassvet/Zakat. Dalai Lama 14.
Born in the USSR-controlled Ukraine in the 1960s, Manskiy began his career studying cinematography at the All-Russian State Institute of Cinematography (VGIL), and has since made over 30 films addressing a wide range of socio-political issues.
His latest documentary Under The Sun is perhaps his most complicated to date, involving a shoot in North Korea made possible by tedious negotiations between Russian partner Vertov.Real Cinema and the North Korean authorities.
At its international premiere at the Black Nights Film Festival, Manskiy along with producer, Simone Baumann of Germany's Saxonia Entertainment, revealed the intricacies in portraying North Korea's 'ideal life' within its borders that few filmmakers achieve access to cross.
There were five different co-producers involved in the making of Under The Sun. How did each of the companies come on board?
Baumann - Initially there was support through Russian company Vertov.Real Cinema, but that was never going to be enough money. So they came to me, Saxonia Entertainment in Germany, Hypermarket Films in Czech Republic and MDR in Latvia to provide the overall funding. By contract, North Korea's Ministry of Culture receives a co-production credit but they did not...