19/08/2010

After his trilogy comprising Moscow Square (2001), Eastern Sugar (Szezon – 2004) and Overnight [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (2007), Hungarian director Ferenc Török is finishing shooting on his fourth narrative feature: Istanbul.

This Hungarian/Dutch/Irish/Turkish co-production stars Dutch actress Johanna Ter Steege (Last Conversation), Ireland’s Padraic Delaney (The Wind That Shakes The Barley [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ken Loach
interview: Rebecca O’Brien
film profile]) and Hungarian thesps Andor Lukáts (Best Actor at Hungarian Film Week 2009 for Fluke [+see also:
trailer
film profile]), Réka Tenki, Eszter Bánfalvy and Norbert Varga.

Penned by the director and based on his personal experiences, the film centres on a mother whose masterpiece, her family, falls apart when her Turkish husband leaves her.

Unable to cope with her feelings of loneliness and the sense she is no longer indispensable and has no purpose any more, she sinks into a state of mental dissociation. Török explains: "I tried to condense this schizophrenic state into an everyday story”.

Produced by László Kántor for Új Budapest Filmstudió, Istanbul has co-production support from Holland’s Phanta Vision, Ireland’s Ripple World Pictures and Turkey’s Kuzey Film, as well as backing from the Hungarian Motion Picture Foundation and Hungarian Culture Ministry.

Scheduled over six weeks, shooting took place in July in Budapest and wraps tomorrow after 17 days in Turkey. Fortissimo is handling international sales.

(Translated from French)