RIVERBANKS, a documentary film developed with the EU support

Moldova has as well the potential to shine on the international film market, especially through documentaries (Lucia Taut, film director).

“Best Feature Documentary” and “Best Cinematography” are the first two awards received by the documentary “Riverbanks” produced by Telefilm Chișinău.

The film “Riverbanks” was produced with the support of the EU’s “Confidence Building Measures” Programme, implemented by the UNDP, along with five other films.

“In the documentary “Riverbanks” you will see and feel emotion. A lot of emotions. It is the emotion of people who live on the banks of the Nistru river, who will never be able to accept the separation from their beloved ones on the other side of the river. The film also tells the story of the villages that were the largest Jewish marketplace in Moldova — Rascov and Vadul-Rascov. It is a documentary that reflects the life of people as it flows, people that regardless of political impediments, continue to communicate, even by shouting across the river. These shouts that cannot be forbidden by politics,” Lucia Taut, the film director told.

“I like people’s life stories. And in such multiethnic villages as Rascov and Vadul-Rascov, you will find many incredible life stories. Especially since these villages is the homeland to many outstanding personalities. I think that from a cultural point of view, a very interesting documentary could be produced. I would also be interested in a documentary about the fate of the Jews who lived there. People say that Jews still come to the graves in the Jewish cemetery nowadays. They either have relatives buried there, or they have lived in these villages,” Lucia added.

“A good film production requires a lot of resources. Both human and financial resources… I had the opportunity to talk to producers and directors from different European countries who said that they work very hard to get financial resources, because otherwise you cannot exist.

I had the support of my colleagues for this film, without which I would not have been able to make this film. It was also very important for me to receive the funding from the European Union. The support was provided through the “Confidence Building Measures” Programme, implemented by the UNDP Moldova. Through such projects, a documentary film can attract larger audience on both banks of the Nistru river and become known to a whole world. I would also like to mention the fact that thanks to this project I was able to involve an international expert. I worked on the drama line with Irene Langemann, an experienced director from Germany, from whom I had the opportunity to learn a lot,” told Lucia.

The full version of the interview with Lucia Taut is available on the following link: https://medium.com/undp-moldova/riverbanks-2d26f893447