Shooting will begin in February 2018
Kinorob Studio and Ukraine State Film Agency signed a contract for providing state support for the production of the historic feature film called Gareth Jones, directed by Agnieszka Holland. The movie will be a joint production of Ukraine (Kinorob), Poland (Film Produkcja) and the UK (Crab Apple Film), with overall budget of 262 million 207 thousand 790 UAH, including 25 million 930 thousand UAH of State Cinema support.
Based on real events, the historical thriller Gareth Jones won the 10th competition selection of cinema projects in Thematic Feature Films category (announced to the 85th anniversary of the Holodomor of 1932-33 in Ukraine). This is the story of a well-known British journalist Gareth Jones, who, despite the fatal danger, went to Soviet Ukraine to expose and bring to the world community the whole truth about the tragedy of Ukrainian people. It was his research on the topic of famine, ruthless censorship and international conspiracy that inspired writer George Orwell to write an allegorical novel Animal Farm.
According to director Agnieszka Holland, the screenwriter Andrea Halup highlighted the problems of the twentieth century in original and skillful manner, that is especially relevant today. Gareth Jones passed all the circles of totalitarian hell, fought with a cruel reality, basing only on idealism, youth and courage, and this is what hte film ais to describe.
The main role will be performed by well-known Irish actor Jack Raynor (star of the film "Transformers: the Era of Destruction"). He will be accompanied by colleagues from Ukraine, Poland and Great Britain. Full cast of the film will be announced soon.
Shootings will begin in February 2018, and will take place on the territory of Ukraine, Poland and Scotland. The premiere of the historic thriller Gareth Jones is scheduled for 2019.
Follow the project’s news on the official Facebook page.
Synopsis: In 1933, Welsh reporter Gareth Jones is looking for his next big story. The job assignment brings him to Moscow, where he meets American journalist Ada Brooks who reveals to him the truth about the “Soviet utopia” and Jones starts to put all pieces together.
Hiding from the Soviet intelligence agencies and facing deadly threats, bit by bit he uncovers the truth about the tragedy of the Ukrainian people: the Holodomor, censorship, conspiracies and mass repressions. Later the Gareth’s work finds a home as the basis of scathing allegory Animal Farm by the famous writer George Orwell.
Director: Agnieszka Holland
Producer: Claudia Smeya, Stanislav Dzidzich, Iegor Olesov, Angus Lamont, Andrea Halupa
Derictor of Photography: Tomasz Naumyuk
Scriptwriter: Andrea Halupa
Costume designer: Aleksandra Staszko
Artist-designer: Grzegorz Piatkowski
Composer: Antoni Komasa-Lazarkevich
Premiere in Ukraine: 2019
Genre: historical thriller, drama
Production: Film Produkcja, Kinorob, Crab Apple Film
with the support of Ukraine State Film Agency
Duration: 110 min
