Rozkvet: Belfast filmmakers to take on 'most ambitious project to date' with new WWII drama

A Northern Irish independent film production company is preparing to take on its "most ambitious" project to date with a new feature film.

Lamb Films is hoping to start production for Rozkvet, a war-drama feature film exploring the Romani people's fight for survival during WWII, this summer.

Directed by Thomas Pollock and produced by Larry Cowan, the film was written by Andrew McNeill who first penned the story as a play that performed across Belfast in 2023.

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A description of Rozkvet read: "Set in occupied Czechoslovakia, Rozkvet tells the story of a woman’s struggle to save her family from Nazi oppression.

"Romani woman, Erika, isolates herself deep in the woods. Events soon spiral out of control, however, when she agrees to help the local resistance on a mission gone wrong.

"With the fate of her family and very people hanging in the balance, Erika reluctantly takes up arms in the hope of making a difference."

The film aims to shed light on the lesser-known history of the persecution faced by the Roma/Romani people and the team believes that the production presents a unique opportunity for an authentic portrayal of the Romani people, who remain underrepresented in mainstream media.

The film’s star and co-producer, Katarina Kokenyova, is from a Roma background and has been instrumental in developing the screenplay in a manner authentic to her culture. In 2006 she and her family moved to Northern Ireland, largely due to the lack of employment opportunities for Roma in her native Slovakia.

Since then she has re-established her career, ultimately securing representation with a Belfast and London-based acting agency and appearing in multiple national television campaigns.

She said: "Bringing this story to life is very close to my heart, as sadly it is still very relevant. When most people hear the word 'gypsy', it usually brings negative images to mind.

"We hope to show our people in a different light than they are usually portrayed in the media and most importantly to commemorate all those who lost their lives fighting against injustice.”

Larry Cowan and Thomas Pollock have already collaborated on several successful short films and documentaries, as well as having previous experience facilitating arts-based community programmes with marginalised communities.

Lamb Pictures is currently running a crowdfunding campaign to get the project off the ground. You can find out more about Rozkvet and the campaign here

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