Maria Wolska, White Feather

Pitchee: Pascal Bensoussan (writer)

Maria Wolska, White Feather
Poland 1908. Maria, the daughter of a landowner and fierce supporter of the independence of Poland, shows a rebellious character. Involved in the resistance against the tsarist regime from a very young age, she has to flee to Paris where she falls in love with Nicolas, a student who introduces her to revolutionary politics and takes her to meet Lenin.

Back in Poland, they fight in an anarchist movement against Russian oppression, only to be arrested and deported to Siberia. Nicolas is killed trying to protect her from rapists but she manages to escape to Canada by crossing the frozen Bering Strait in the middle of winter.

For Maria, a new, tormented life begins with an Indian tribe in Yukon, where she marries the chief and starts a family, as the native people fight to preserve their lands and their freedom. But Maria, now named White Feather, has not forgotten her native country. Hunted by the police, she learns that her father is on the verge of death. She decides to return to Poland with her son Gray Wolf to save him from being sent to an indigenous residential school.

Caught up in the turmoil of the Second World War, Maria and Gray Wolf fight the Nazis alongside the Polish resistance. She survives the Warsaw Uprising but the victory in 1945 does not bring them the happiness they had hoped for.

After the liberation, they are arrested by the Soviets but flee to Canada where Maria and her family devote themselves to the defence of the indigenous people by campaigning for their liberation and independence, before being tragically beaten to death by thugs in the service of the police.

Supporting materials: Project bible

Project information:
Genre: Historical drama
Format: 13x45/52’
Writers: Pascal Bensoussan, Éric Le Nabour and team
Producers: France: Samarka Productions – Pascal Bensoussan; Canada: Transfilm International – Claude Leger; Poland: Orian Group/Walewska Productions – Ewa Wozna
Possible partner broadcasters: TVP, Poland
Development stage: Bible for 13 episodes
Planned shooting start: 16 months after coproduction agreements signed
Shooting location: France: one episode; Canada: six episodes; Poland: six episodes; Russia: to discuss
Languages: English with some Polish and French
Total budget: €25m
Budget per episode: €1.9m
Financing already in place: 5% from the producers

What you are looking for from the US and/or international business:
Possible international coproducers interested in co-financing development and production and partner broadcasters in France and Canada such as Arte, France Télévisions and Radio-Canada.

Company profile:
Samarka Productions. After 10 years in the communication, advertising and newspaper business, Pascal Bensoussan joined CLT Group as producer and general manager for two production subsidaries (VTF/VCI). At the time, he produced a large number of entertainment, variety shows and weekly TV programmes.

Since 1984, he has produced with his own companies (F Productions, Samarka Productions, Tilt Productions, Takamaka and Eldorado Films) for French and international broadcasters. His output includes fiction, animation series, TV movies, documentaries, sports and adventure events, art and music shows, specials and entertainment shows.

Created in 1991 in the French West Indies, Samarka Productions specializes in international productions and has coproduced around 40 documentaries and several TV movies with F Productions, it’s sister company. When Pascal Bensoussan sold F Productions two years ago, he decided to develop fiction projects, including Maria Wolska, White Feather, with Samarka Productions.

Contact:
Pascal Bensoussan
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 33 (0) 1 64811218/Mob: 33 (0) 6 09174319