Hitting Kickstarter this morning is an oppotunity to back an upcoming indie film to be shot in Northern Ireland this summer. Rozkvet is a war-drama feature film exploring the Romani people’s fight for survival during the Second World War. There aren’t too many movies that centre on the Romani Holocaust and in the hands of Lamb Films, I dare say this is one to watch out for.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rozkvetfilm/rozkvet-world-war-two-feature-film#
Occupied Czechoslovakia, 1943: in the wake of her husbands’ death at the hands of the Nazis, Romani woman, Erika, isolates herself deep in the woods. Events soon spiral out of control, however, when she agrees to help the local resistance on a mission gone wrong. With the fate of her family and very people hanging in the balance, Erika reluctantly takes up arms in the hope of making a difference. Hot on her heels are local SS leader, Obersturmfuhrer Engel, a relentless man seeking to make sense of his own tragic loss, and Italian diplomat, Silvano Reale, trying to stay loyal to his German allies, while remaining a decent man.
Rozkvet explores themes of hope in the face of injustice, as well as bringing awareness to the Romani victims of the Holocaust and the active role they played in anti-fascist resistance across occupied Europe.
Rozkvet began life as a one-act play, performed in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 2023. As a feature film adaptation, the story has greatly expanded and evolved into a more visually driven piece, yet still retaining the same core characters and themes. We intend to use the same cast from the play, given the actors are already deeply familiar with the material, which will in turn help streamline rehearsal and filming.
