Fugitive Pieces (2007)

Director:

Jeremy Podeswa

Writers:

Anne Michaels (novel)
Jeremy Podeswa (writer)

Release Date:

October 2008 (Israel)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

He found himself in the love around him.

Plot:

A child escapes from Poland during World War II and first heads to Greece before coming of age in Canada. |

Plot Keywords:

Based On Novel

Awards:

6 wins

US Showtimes:

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Cast

Stephen Dillane	...	Jakob
Rade Serbedzija	...	Athos
Rosamund Pike	...	Alex
Ayelet Zurer	...	Michaela
Robbie Kay	...	Young Jakob
Ed Stoppard	...	Ben
Rachelle Lefevre	...	Naomi
Nina Dobrev	...	Bella
Themis Bazaka	...	Mrs. Serenou
Diego Matamoros	...	Jozef
Sarah Orenstein	...	Sara
Larissa Laskin	...	Irena
Giorgos Karamihos	...	Ioannis
Danai Skiadi	...	Young Allegra
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Memos Begnis	...	Makis
Marcia Bennett	...	Mrs. Taylor
Devon Bostick	...	Ben - Teen
Hakan Coskuner	...	German Soldier
Elli Fotiou	...	Allegra - 50s
Daniel Kash	...	Maurice
Jennifer Podemski	...	Marylin
Gray Powell	...	Allen
Stefen Rollpiller	...	German Soldier
Monika Schurmann	...	Jakob's Mother
Jonathan Soja	...	German Soldier
Birgitte Solem	...	Ellen
Michael Stevens	...	Book publisher

Directed by
Jeremy Podeswa

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Anne Michaels		novel
Jeremy Podeswa		writer

Produced by
Jeffrey Berman	....	associate producer
Sandra Cunningham	....	co-producer
Christina Ford	....	executive producer
Andras Hamori	....	executive producer
Robert Lantos	....	producer
Mark Musselman	....	executive producer
Panos Papahadzis	....	associate producer
Panos Papahadzis	....	line producer
Dionyssis Samiotis	....	co-producer
Panayotis Veremis	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Nikos Kypourgos

Cinematography by
Gregory Middleton

Film Editing by
Wiebke von Carolsfeld

Casting by
Nancy Bishop
Makis Gazis
Nina Gold

Production Design by
Matthew Davies

Art Direction by
Peter Emmink

Set Decoration by
Erica Milo
Nikos Triandafilopoulos

Costume Design by
Anne Dixon

Makeup Department
Argyro Kouroupou	....	makeup artist
Niki Psimouli	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Peter Bray	....	production manager
Christos Glimis	....	assistant production manager
Giannis Iakovidis	....	production supervisor
Vasso Patrouba	....	production manager
Lori A. Waters	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Alexandros Aristopoulos	....	second assistant director
Sarah Campbell	....	second assistant director
Lefteris Charitos	....	first assistant director
Emmanuela Fragiadaki	....	second assistant director
Craig Newman	....	third assistant director
Andrew Shea	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Mary Arthurs	....	property master
Yannis Damigos	....	assistant constructor
Neil Floyd	....	art department apprentice
Gerassimos Karvounis	....	props (as Gerasimos Karvounis)
Dimitris Katsikis	....	associate production designer
Sakis Koularmanis	....	props
Elis Y. Lam	....	first assistant art director (as Elis Lam)
Katerina Manolakou	....	assistant art director
Aaron Morrison	....	graphics
Andreas Siroyiannis	....	props
Cherie Spencer	....	set dresser
Alexis Tsiflikos	....	constructor

Sound Department
Sylvain Arseneault	....	sound recordist
Steve Baine	....	foley artist
Fred Brennan	....	dialogue and adr editor
Steph Carrier	....	sound re-recording mixer
Sue Fawcett	....	assistant dialogue editor
Nick Foley	....	adr recordist
Jamie Gould	....	sound re-recording assistant
Garrett Kerr	....	sound effects editor
Travis MacKay	....	adr recordist
Matthew McKenzie	....	adr recordist
Rudy Michael	....	adr recordist
Periklis Patsourakis	....	boom operator
Peter Persaud	....	foley recordist
Brent Pickett	....	first assistant sound editor
Lou Solakofski	....	sound re-recording mixer
Ted Swanscott	....	adr mixer
Jane Tattersall	....	sound effects editor
Marilee Yorston	....	foley assistant

Special Effects by
David Antonacci	....	special effects technician
Steve Carbajal	....	special effects water truck driver
Tim Ferguson	....	special effects technician
Peter Kovachis	....	special effects first assistant
Derek Liscoumb	....	special effects coordinator
Ron Shinder	....	special effects key
Sean Wakfer	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Darcy Bangsund	....	senior systems administrator: Mr. X Inc
Barb Benoit	....	digital compositor
Anand Dorairaj	....	digital compositor
Mag Sarnowska	....	digital artist
Chris Wallace	....	digital intermediate colorist
Aaron Weintraub	....	visual effects supervisor: Mr. X Inc
Fiona Campbell Westgate	....	visual effects producer: Mr. X Inc

Camera and Electrical Department
Spiros Angelopoulos	....	electrician
Blayne Badge	....	electrician
Terry Banting	....	gaffer
Roy Benson	....	dolly grip
Randy Brown	....	generator operator
Federico De Marco	....	second assistant camera
Christos Douros	....	clapper loader
Chad Edwards	....	electrician
Cinar Eryasar	....	electrician
Candide Franklyn	....	camera operator
Gene Gray	....	grip
Mitch Holmes	....	key grip
Sean Jordan	....	electrician
Thanassis Karambelos	....	best boy grip
John MacLean	....	best boy grip
Grigoris Moschos	....	best boy electric
Nikos Nikolopoulos	....	still photographer
John Pogue	....	best boy electric
Benjamin Smith	....	camera loader
Mike Sokoluk	....	grip
Carolos Stermy	....	key grip
Dean Stinchcombe	....	first assistant camera
Manu Tilinski	....	second assistant camera
Panayiotis Triandafilopoulos	....	electrician
Stathis Tsiapas	....	gaffer

Casting Department
Nancy Bishop	....	casting
Jason Knight	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Anastasia Arseni	....	associate costume designer
Marie Beracha	....	assistant costume designer
Anna Dal Farra	....	assistant costume designer
Anastasia Havouta	....	assistant costume designer
Maria Kokkini	....	second assistant costume designer
Alkistis Mamali	....	assistant costume designer
Katerina Tsakota	....	second assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Kate Hickey	....	assistant editor
Debbie Holland	....	colorist
Nick Iannelli	....	digital intermediate producer
Takis Kardasis	....	negative developer
Christos Manousakis	....	negative developer
Rui Martins	....	telecine operator
Dave Muscat	....	digital intermediate editor
Sandy Pereira	....	first assistant editor
Emma Sanders	....	post-production coordinator
Kelley Whitis	....	post-production coordinator

Music Department
Kevin Banks	....	music editor
John Rowley	....	music supervisor

Transportation Department
Maria Goudi	....	transportation & accomodation coordination
Costis Panayiotopoulos	....	film transportation

Other crew
Errikos Bari	....	production assistant
William Cameron	....	title designer: main titles
Donna Gardon	....	script supervisor
Lisa Ghione	....	unit publicist
Joe Iacono	....	financial consultant and auditor
Fotini Karnassioti	....	production accountant assistant
George Litinas	....	production assistant
Mark Moore	....	location manager
Efi Papazachariou	....	publicist
Keith Park	....	assistant location manager
Irene Phelps	....	production accountant
Diane Pitblado	....	dialect coach
Sephira Salazar	....	assistant: Andras Hamori
Jonathan Schwartz	....	production assistant
Brian Sidaway	....	hydra consultant
George Siokos	....	production assistant
Michael Solomon	....	assistant: Mr. Lantos
Jason Stone	....	assistant: Jeremy Podeswa
Victoria Vellopoulou	....	location manager
Kelly Willson Harvey	....	assistant: Sandra Cunningham
Christine Zaher	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• Cinegram
• Serendipity Point Films
• Strada Films

Distributors

• Maximum Film Distribution (2007) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Samuel Goldwyn Films (2008) (USA) (theatrical)

Special Effects

• Mr. X (visual effects)
• Storm FX

Other Companies

• Chapman / Leonard Studio Equipment  dollies
• Cinetic Media  domestic sales
• Dolby Laboratories  sound mix
• Fortissimo Films  international sales
• Kodak Cinelabs Greece  film process facilities
• Milan Records  soundtrack

Also Known As:

Syntrimmia psyhis (Greece)

MPAA:

Rated R for some sexuality.

Runtime:

Canada:104 min (Toronto International Film Festival)

Country:

Canada | Greece

Language:

English | Greek | Yiddish | German

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Australia:MA | Canada:14A

Filming Locations:

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Cinegram

To live with ghosts requires solitude

This week Jews and others around the world celebrated Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, observed every year since 1959 to "never forget" the murder of six million Jews during World War II. Loosely based on a novel of the same name by Canadian author Anne Michaels, Fugitive Pieces by Jeremy Podeswa whose father was a Holocaust survivor, touches on an often-overlooked aspect of the tragedy, that those who have managed to survive deep trauma may be unable to rid themselves of their obsessions. The film spans a period of roughly 35 years, beginning in 1942 and concluding in the late 1970, going back and forth in time between the events of childhood and present time. Set in Biskupin, Poland during World War II, seven-year old Jakob Beer (Robbie Kay) witnesses the murder of his parents and the abduction of his beloved sister Bella by German soldiers.

Disregarding Bella's instructions to remain at home, Jakob runs away. Hiding in the forest, he plants himself into the ground "like a turnip", hiding his face with leaves until he is discovered by Athos Roussos (Rade Serbedzija), a warm hearted Zorba-like Greek archaeologist on a dig. Athos brings the traumatized boy to his home on the sun-drenched island of Zakynthos in Greece where they live through the Nazi occupation, suffering deprivation but surviving the atrocities that befall Greece's Jewish community. The relationship between Jakob and Athos is slow to develop but they eventually form a bond. "I will be your koumbaros, your godfather," Athos says. "We must carry each other. If we don't have this, what are we?" After the war, Athos receives a teaching position in Canada and they move there hoping to forget the past. Jakob, now played as an adult by Stephen Dillane, has neighbors who are also Jewish immigrants and he develops a close relationship with Ben (Ed Stoppard) who he watches grow into a gifted writer. Though Jakob has become a successful writer in Canada himself, his marriage to the lovely Alex (Rosamund Pike) is threatened by haunting memories of Bella and his obsession with the Holocaust. Her vivacity and joy for life is in sharp contrast to his solemnity and he "longs for the loss of memory", and writes about his wife's "shameless vitality" saying, "To live with ghosts requires solitude".

After their breakup, Jakob falls in love with Micheala (Israeli actress Ayelet Zurer), a scholar twenty-five years his junior, and her charm and intelligence allows him to venture out of his shell. Fugitive Pieces is a quiet and sensitive film that has a touching poetic quality and Robbie Kay turns in one of the best child performances I have seen in years. Though the film often becomes too literary and does not soar dramatically, its message is strong - that though we should never forget a tragedy, there may be a steep price for remembering.