05/02/2007

The film world can be a tricky one, something to which Kornél Mundruczó could attest as he and his producer Viktória Petrányi (Proton Cinema) confirmed in Budapest that they are to restart filming his feature Delta [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Kornél Mundruczó
interview: Orsi Tóth
film profile].

The Hungarian director (Johanna [+see also:
trailer
film profile]) was forced to discontinue the production of Delta late last year after the sudden loss of his protagonist, Lajos Bertók. Although the actor’s death was not related to the film, a lengthy production insurance issue had to be resolved before anything could start up again.

“Bertok’s death left us with grief, an unfinished film and the question, ‘Should we start again’? In the end we decided for it”, said Petrányi as she announced that filming is to resume in the original location, Romania’s Danube Delta, from the end of March.

“We were in the sound post-production phase when I decided that Bertók is irreplaceable and the film had to be redone. I had to hold another casting session for a new protagonist”, adds Mundruczó. He found his hero in Félix Lajkó, an ethnic Hungarian musician from Serbia, known more for his violin than acting skills. Mundruczó had to rewrite part of the script to “adjust Lajko’s real life image to the role”.

Set in a futuristic world, Delta recounts the adventures of Mihail, who returns to the wild and labyrinthine water community of the delta to attend his father’s funeral and falls in love with his sister (Orsi Tóth). The discovery that their father was actually murdered leads Mihail on mission of revenge against the killers.

Despite the shortcomings, Proton Cinema have kept their main co-producers, Germany’s Essential Filmproduktion and the Hungarian Motion Picture Foundation, also adding Hungarian outfit Filmpartners and broadcaster TV2.

Filming will continue in the summer and is to be completed this autumn.