Beta Cinema has secured the international sales rights for the concentration camp drama “Each of Us,” starring Diane Kruger, whose credits include “In the Fade,” for which she won best actress in Cannes, “Inglourious Basterds,” and “Amrum,” which premieres this week in Cannes.
Other lead members of the cast include Carla Juri (“Blade Runner,” “When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit,” “Wetlands”), Aida Folch (“The Artist and the Model,” “The Island,” “Smoking Room”) and Ninel Geiger (“Music,” “Sound of Falling”).
The film tells a story of survival, resistance and sorority in the Ravensbrück women’s concentration camp – the only one of its kind – during the final days of World War II.
“Each of Us” is directed by an all-female team of four European filmmakers: Anne Zohra Berrached (“24 Weeks”), Neus Ballús (“The Plague,” “The Odd-Job Men”), Stina Werenfels (“Dora Or the Sexual Neuroses of Our Parents”) and Anna Jadowska (“Woman on the Roof,” “Wild Roses”).
The film, inspired by true stories, is written by screenwriters Eva Pauné and Mirjam Ziegler. It follows the intertwined stories of four women from different countries who struggle to preserve their humanity amidst the brutal conditions of the camp. Their lives become linked through a young girl who brings both hardship to them but also hope.
“Each of Us” is lensed by Agnieszka Holland’s favorite director of photography Jolanta Dylewska (“In Darkness,” “Spoor,” “Ayka”) and edited by Pedro Almodovar’s collaborator Teresa Font (“The Room Next Door,” “Parallel Mothers”).
The producers state: “To allow for an authentic representation of our four protagonists’ backgrounds, experiences, and identities, ‘Each of Us’ is filmed in a truly unique way: each director focused on a different protagonist, offering her individual attention from screenwriting to mise-en-scène. From the rushes, we can tell the result is an awe-inspiring experience — marked by emotional depth and a strong connection to the protagonists and their individual journeys, in which solidarity, the characters’ quiet strength, and a sense of hope rise far above the harsh realities depicted.”
The film is produced by Alhena Production (Spain), Bon Voyage Films (Germany), Turnus Film (Switzerland), and Blick Productions International (Poland), in co-production with Ramen Studio and EFD Group.
The project was developed with the support of Media Creative Europe, and is also supported in Spain by ICAA, ICEC, TVE and TVC, in Germany by ARTE, SR, SWR, RBB, BR, MDM, MOIN and MBB, in Switzerland by BAK, Zurich Filmfund and RGB Stiftung, and in Poland by PISF and WFDIF.
The film is in production and being shot in Poland, Germany and Spain.
“We are honored to represent ‘Each of Us,’ a film that brings together a remarkable team of female directors (two of whom we had the pleasure to work with before, Neus Ballús and Anne Zohra Berrached) and a compelling narrative that resonates universally,” said Thorsten Ritter, executive vice president of Beta Cinema. “Its exploration of resilience and solidarity in the face of unimaginable adversity is both timely and timeless.”
Beta Cinema’s Cannes slate also includes Fatih Akin’s new film “Amrum,” screening in official selection, several English-language upcoming titles like the Bill Nighy-led road-movie “500 Miles,” and the market premieres of the Italian hit comedy “U.S. Palmese” by directors Antonio and Marco Manetti, and the Spanish debut “The Remnants of You” by Gala Gracia.
