Update: we're already in the 9th day of filming, the results are excellent (check out the latest pictures in updates and the making-of videos below), but we desperately need your support NOW to complete the movie!
Short Summary
Hello, everyone! We're the team behind the feature film project "Herman: The Man Behind the Terror". It follows the life story of Herman, a promising young man who under extreme circumstances changed into Romania's most effective torture machine in the infamous Pitesti Experiment during the Communist Regime.
It is going to be the world's first movie about the Pitești Experiment (reeducation through torture), where thousands of young opponents of the Communist regime were tortured in the Pitesti Penitentiary to the point where they adopted the Communist doctrine and began applying the same treatment to new inmates. Alexander Solzhenitsyn said about the Pitesti Experiment to be "the most terrible act of barbarism in the modern world".
We are all independent filmmakers, artists and actors, we developed this project inspired of real events over the course of five years and now we need your support for the final and most important stages, to shoot the movie, edit it and release it in theaters worldwide to make this atrocity known!
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Cast & Crew
Main Crew: Victoria Baltag (director / producer),
Alexandra Axinte (writer),
Cristian Prisecaru (fight director / stunt coordinator / 2nd unit director),
Andreea Negrilă (art director),
Petre Marian Florin (art director),
Cati Dinu,
Marius Donici (director of photography),
Cosmin Dumitrache (2nd camera),
Ștefan Săndulescu (composer),
Sonia Teodoriu (production assistant),
Valentina Voroneanu (special makeup effects artist),
Paula Sacaleanu (makeup artist),
Olivia Nicolescu (makeup artist),
Ștefan Petcu (first assistant director),
Florin Tăbăcaru (post-production sound),
Vlad Feneșan (pitch post-production), Cristian Lupuliasa (PR representative),
Maria Matei,
Silvia Chamillova (
Erasmus for young entrepreneurs trainee),
Paul Crețu (making-of),
Aionițoaie Raluca (costumes trainee), Pețean Bogdan (design), Daria Alina (makeup trainee), Geanina Jenny (props trainee), Adrian Țofei (Indiegogo campaign manager).
Main Cast: Sergiu Moraru, Sonia Teodoriu, Axel Moustache, Ion Caramitru, Radu Ghilaș, Georgeta Burdujan, Rareș Lucaci, Narcis Ilina, Doru Aftanasiu, Haruna Condurache, Irina Scutariu, Marius Nanau, Bogdan Amurăriței, Adrian Gabureac, Claudiu Oprea, Avram Iclozan, Victoria Baltag, Alexandra Bandac, Adrian Dima, Genovel Alexa, Codrin Dănilă, Adrian Țofei.
What We Need & What You Get
The estimated budget for this part is 550 000 euros (we have to add the second part, the post production part and the distribution part still), we need from you 35000 in order to continue our shootings in the next days.
Check out all the exclusive perks we offer in the right column, select one and help us make it happen! You'll get all the items described in the perk associated with your contribution, from official "Thanks" credits on the movie's ending, IMDb page and official website, to "Executive Producer" official credits or even a Supporting Role in the movie! You can securely contribute online with credit card or debit card or PayPal from anywhere in the world, no matter the currency in your account. There's also an option to contribute anonymously.
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The Impact
Once it's finished, we are going to send the movie to tens of international film festivals like Sundance, Cannes, Berlin, Toronto, Venice, Transilvania, Karlovy Vary, Locarno, Rotterdam, Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle, Austin, Tribeca, Sydney, Raindance and many, many others.
This way we'll get worldwide theatrical distribution deals and secure the movie's international success, to shine light and raise awareness on the Pitești Experiment, about which François Furet, member of the French Academy, said to be "one of the most terrible experiments in dehumanisation that our epoch has known"!
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Risks & Challenges
The biggest challenge for us right now is to make a very powerful movie with a very tiny budget compared to the budgets of big studio productions. But we're used to work this way on independent productions and we're 100% determined to overcome all the obstacles!
We're counting on your support!
Other Ways You Can Help
You can also help a lot by sharing the campaign using the Indiegogo sharing tools in the left column by the pitch video, and by spreading the word about it in any online or offline way. And also don't forget to like the movie's Facebook page and follow it on Twitter! Thank you so much for your support!!
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Partners
TVR Iasi,
Digi24 Iasi,
Mediafax,
CinemaRx,
Radio Romania International,
Prahova TV,
"Vasile Alecsandri" National Theater Iasi,
"Costache Negruzzi" College Iasi,
"Alexandru Ioan Cuza" University Iasi,
Romanian Literature Museum Iasi,
CFR Sport Club Iasi,
CFR Iasi, Military Hospital Iasi,
Aroneanu Hall,
Iasi City Hall,
Jilava Penitentiary,
IICCMER (The Institute for the Investigation of Communist Crimes),
Retromobile Romania,
WestBuy,
Connections Romania.
