The DEAD SEA, one of the most beautiful places on our planet, is disappearing - but there is STILL MUCH to be done! Join us to produce this art-house documentary about the beauty, the problems and the hopes of the Dead Sea!
We need 9,000 € to post-produce the movie, and we have a plan of donations to EcoPeace: additional 3,000€ + we will donate an additional 10% on every euro we receive!
- - -
The Dead Sea: a gem of natural beauty at the lowest point on Earth (-422 meters below the sea level). It is a lake in the desert, full of minerals and salts creating new colors at every hour of the day. Yet, due to the action of man, the Dead Sea may disappear within 20 years.
We spent one and a half year following the life of people living around the sea, to capture their feelings towards the loss of their beloved place. There are stories of resistance, resignation, nostalgia. “There Was Once a Sea” is a mystic travel in the desert, with its strong lights and its night winds, its warm and silent people attached to its sands and rocks – trying to defend it from the impending “civilization”.
Many people spent beautiful times here in full contact with nature, enjoying the unique atmosphere and the splendid air healing skin ailments. Everyone who has been here preserves a special memory of the Dead Sea, and we believe that this place must be saved.
The Dead Sea is not just a pearl of beauty, but mostly a place of the human soul. We dedicated all of ourselves to create something to halt its destruction - and would love if you could support us to complete our movie!
Post-production and our donations to EcoPeace Middle East!
The movie has been entirely shot and we need your help to complete post-production! It is a full-length movie with beuatiful scenes and people!
We have been presenting the rough cut to festivals and distributors during the Berlinale Film festival, receiving excellent response. That's why we are committed to creating a great movie to make our message known to the people!
We are seeking the following funds:
-
Studio color grading, graphics, mastering: 5,000€
- Sound design and mixing: 3,000€
- Soundtrack: 1,000€
- Final donation to EcoPeace: 3,000€
All the activities will be performed by our preferential partners: Professional labs in Berlin, serving major production companies in Europe.
More: we will donate an additional 10% of the funds we receive to EcoPeace East (formerly "Friends of the Earth Middle East). This means that if we receive a donation of 100$, we will donate an additional 10$ to EcoPeace Middle East. Plus, any money saved from what we receive (receipts will be posted online) will be donated to EcoPeace.
This environmental association assisted us in the research for the project and is very committed to saving the Dead Sea. EcoPeace has got offices in Tel Aviv, Bethelhem and Amman. Its people are wonderful and true believers, striving to overcome political disputes in order to save the most beautiful places in the region. You can find more information about EcoPeace following this link.
About us
Our company is called "Daring House" and is based in Berlin. We started operations in 2013 with the production of a movie about the "Tacheles" art community in the city center, receiving good critical response and enjoying distribution in Germany (winning also a "Honorable Mention" recognition at the International Berlin Film Awards). The director of "The Last Days of Tacheles", Stefano Casertano, is also the maker of "There Was Once a Sea".
In 2015, together with the production of "There Was Once a Sea", we are distributing a movie called "Belluscone - Why Italians Love Berlusconi", winner of the "Orizzonti" prize in Venice. Our projects are all "political" and rely on the support of friends and enthusiasts.
You can find more information about us following this link.
FAQ: Why a movie about the Dead Sea?
I reached the Dead Sea for the first time in 2008, from the Jordan side, after having travelled on motorcycle from Turkey and Syria. As we approached the first shore - it was already dusk - I felt I had to stop the bike and enter the water. It was warm and I started floating high on the surface, as in the classic images of people reading the newspaper while bathing. I felt immediately home: something only special places can do to your soul.
I ended up returning to the Dead See every year ever since. I made friends in the area. I even spent some time in a kibbutz on the Israeli side, as I was with a girl living there, who showed me the beauty of the place and the local culture.
Yet, it was always sad to experience how every year the level of the water was receding, and I wanted to do something significant about this.
It is horrible how we are giving up on a place of such uncomparable beauty.
This movie is an act of love and a call for action, and it would be great if you could be part of it.
Movie data
- Title: There Was Once a Sea
-
Countries: Israel and Germany
-
Color/Length: 4:2:2 Color/88 mins
-
Status: Rough cut
-
Director/Script/Editor: Stefano Casertano
-
Cinematographer: Kai Oliver Goldmann
-
Music: Maya Stern
-
Producer: Antonio Padovani
-
Sound: Benjamin Ostarek
Our Perks... and some nice images
There is no doubt about it: The Dead Sea is one of the most magical places on our planet. At every minute, depending on the sun, the wind, the humidity and - possibly - how you feel, its color change from pink, to green, blue, turquoise, red...
With our perks we wanted to convey you the beautiful sensation of being there (as long as it still possible...). When in the perks we offer the chance to have an image - be it a desktop picture or a poster - we would like you to choose from the ones here. Moreover, in some perks, you can choose your very own frame of the movie and we will print it out for you (from a full raw file even better than Blue-Ray. This is technical stuff, yet trust us: It will look great!).
