Documentary

Documentary

The author, reveals his new and probable last challenge to the instrument to which he dedicated most of his life, the production of an unprecedented recording of the great “Sonata for guitar” of the Spanish composer Antonio José, recognized as the most difficult sonata to perform on the instrument.

In addition to the tribute provided with the discographic collection, the documentary aims to provide both visual and audio record on the unknown repertoire and the tragic life journeys of the composers.

For a better understanding on this tragic reality this documentary provides a more intimate characterization by revealing details about the life’s and work of each individual.

Synopsis

In favor of the integrity of the innovative interpretation, Viegas investigates the life and work of the composer, in order to know his professional trajectory and artistic influences, when he comes across documentation claiming that Antonio José had been shot at 33, a victim of the Spanish civil war.

The desire to interpret his work is overwhelmed by intrigue facing what happened, which leads him to develop an investigation about composers who may have suffered a similar fate. This investigation leads to a disturbing reality, gradually discovering hundreds of cases of composers who lost their lives prematurely in war scenarios.

Upon learning about these incidents, Mickael feels the duty to share this reality with the world, which lead him to change his original project to one with a global dimension:

The development of a philanthropic project that consists on compiling a record collection with music by all these erudite composers, mainly forgotten, aiming to share this cultural legacy giving them the highlight place and creative merit that is due to them.

The author embarks on a journey around Europe with the challenging mission of rescuing the scores that survived the war hostilities, learning the composers stories, places and contexts in which the tragedies took place. Supported by several institutions, local musicians, holocaust survivors and composers relatives, all determined to bring the project to life.

As soon as the recordings are completed, a great concert is produced to celebrate the composers and their finally recorded music, a series of world premieres performed live by Mickael and his guests, internationally renowned musicians, who speak together for the same cause. The concert ends with the unpublished version of Antonio José Sonata, the driving force behind this epic journey.

Production Plan

• Pré-production

2022 September - October

• Footage

Portugal:

Studio recordings

Lisbon, exteriors and Mickael Viegas home

• Europe:

4 weeks footage in Europe according to the filming plan

• Portugal:

Show production Live concert

• Post-production

2023 January - March

• Road Script

London Holocaust Survivors Interviews

Amsterdam Leo Smit Foundation

Haia Netherlands Instituut

Ypres

Arras

Somme

Épehy

Aisne

Marne

Verdun

Western Front Line WWI

Strasbourg Natzweiler-Struhof Concentration Camp

Wulzburg Concentration Camp

Dachau Concentration Camp

Mauthausen Concentration Camp

Prague Jewish Museum

Terezín Concentration Camp

Warsaw Muranów Guetto

Trebelinka Concentration Camp

Sobibor Concentration Camp

Majdanek Concentration Camp

Belzec Concentration Camp

Auschwitz Concentration Camp

Vienna Exil Arte

Kerestinec Concentration Camp

Jasenovac Concentration Camp

Promotion Strategy

Media Advisory

Structuring of an interview and press release plan with audiovisual content to enhance the dissemination and promotion of the project among various media broadcasts - Television, Radio, Online, Prints, Apps, among others.

Digital Channels

It is intended to share an immediate personal perspective and exclusive content through the Instagram platform. This profile will allow the audience to follow the various phases of the project, posting selected and specific content to immerse the public in the project, contextualizing it with the theme.

At first the platform will have a strong promotional purpose, acting as an organic and effective way of engaging with the public.

Typology of contents:

• Tracks studio recordings capture of moments on studio, interviews with invited artists, clarifications of musical scopes, etc.

• Presentation of the composers creation of mini biographies about each composer.

• Historical contextualization articles that contextualize the project from historical point of view - dates, places, wars, events, etc.

• Documentary behind the scenes filming in Europe, interviews, exclusive testimonials

• Concerts pre-production of the show, behind the scenes and tour back stage, etc.

After the project is completed, the account will remain active sharing extra content that wasn’t included in the main project - other composers, other stories, news, curiosities, facts, secrets, etc.

Distribution Strategy

First phase

Given the philanthropic nature of the project, as a way of involving the audience with the theme, the distribution of the film is going to be first introduced in Official Halls of cultural propagation such as.

• Cultural centers

• Concerned institutions

• Emblematic war history related places

• National and International circuits and renounced film festivals*

• *See list of festivals

Second Phase

• Content acquisition by digital streaming platforms - Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO, Plex, Hulu, etc - with the aim of making the documentary accessible to anyone, so that this initiative achieves the intended purpose, calling for collective awareness of the consequences of war for the survival of humanity and the preservation of its culture.

Third Phase

• Commercialization of rights to cultural TV channels.

List of festivals

CMA awards

GRAMMYs Awards

Cannes Film Festival

Fest

Camerimage

Cambridge Film Festival

EIFF

Douro Film Harvest

Cro9ssing Europe

BIFF

Artic Film Festival

International Festival Off Camera

IFFR

FilmFest Hamburg

JEwish Motifs Internacional Film Festival

MFDF Ji.hlava

TIFF

Karlovy Vary Film Festival

LIFF

Locarno International Film Festival

BFI

BAFTA

London International DOC Festival

Message to Man

Moscow international Film Festival

New Horizonts Film Festival

Reykjavik Film Festival

Doc Lisboa

San Sebastian Film Festival

Sarajevo Film Festival

Stockholm Film Festival

SEFFF

Pravo Ljudski Film Festival

Subversive Film Festival

Venice Film Festival

Warsaw Film Festival

ZagredDox

Oscars

Big SkyDOC Film Festival

The Boston Jewish Film Festival Sundance

among others...

2023 © Lost Souls of War