Dana Ziyasheva says “Greatland is her sophomore feature, following the 2015 Defenders of Life drama about three generations of indigenous women in Costa Rica”.
“Greatland” is the coming of age story of Ulysses set in a dystopian utopia, says Ziyasheva. Greats are too evolved to bother with government, work, education, law, technology or money. Delving into my teenage fascination for works of Buñuel, Fellini and Forman, I was equally inspired by the anima and animus inspired surrealist imagery and the intransigent societal logic of “A Clockwork Orange.”
Shown from the perspective of 15-year-old Ulysses and filled with contemporary pop-culture references, “Greatland” is lensed by Charles Schner (“Captain America: Civil War”, “Insurgent”, “American Horror Story”, “Bad Kids of Crestview Academy”) in a futuristic vintage style.
The young lead actor of GREATLAND, Arman Darbo was recently seen in the critically acclaimed school shooting drama AND THEN I GO, alongside Melanie Lynskey, Justin Long and Tony Hale. With “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” Nick Moran, Academy Award Nominee Eric Roberts, horror flicks darling Bill Oberst Jr. and up and coming Chloe Ray Warmoth (FULLER HOUSE) completing the cast, “Greatland” has all the makings of a controversial movie that will leave no one indifferent.
Greatland is produced by Igor Darbo under his Popcorn & Friends banner. The film is now in post-production, crowdfunding on Seed & Spark to cover their last sound and VFX expenses and looking for distribution.
- Seed & Spark: https://www.seedandspark.com/fund/greatland#story
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CureAgainstVirus/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greatlandthemovie/
- Interviews and high res photos available upon request.
- Please contact: Igor Darbo [email protected] 818-257-1929
About Director Dana Ziyasheva
Dana Ziyasheva is an award-winning author, scriptwriter and film director from Kazakhstan. Twenty-five years of field experience as a journalist and Adviser for Communication and Information of the United Nations lead her from Iraq to China and Central America. Dana’s debut novel “Shock” was published in France in 2016. Her first feature Defenders of Life is repped by Adler Entertainment. The trailer and full film.
About Popcorn & Friends
Popcorn & Friends is a boutique production company founded in March 2012 by Igor Darbo and ambitioning to produce highly creative international films that are both entertaining and meaningful. After winning Best Co-Production Project award at Shanghai International Film Festival for its high-concept Chinese treasure hunt “The Dragon Angel”, Popcorn & Friends produced “Defenders of Life”, a controversial fiction film about underage marriages within indigenous communities. Greatland is Popcorn & Friends first US feature film.
In Conversation with Michael Oblowitz Director of Confidential Informant
Confidential Informant stars Mel Gibson, Dominic Purcell, and Kate Bosworth
