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English Titles B

ECFA Award Winner

Blanka

Original title: Blanka
German title: Blanka
Italy, Japan, 2015

Director: Hasei, Kohki
Production company: Dorje Film
Co-producers: Simple Truth Productions
Age recommendation: 12 years and up
Length: 75 min.

Synopsis:
11-year-old Blanka lives in the streets of Manila. She has no family and survives by begging and stealing from tourists. One day she stops to watch tv in front of an electronics shop: according to the news program, a famous actress has adopted a child that is now living a happy life. An absurd idea flashes into her mind: perhaps, if she could buy a mother, she could also have a good life – going to school, living in a nice house. But she has to multiply her efforts in order to collect enough money. A new opportunity seems to arise from her meeting with Peter, a 55-year-old blind street musician. Blanka and Peter start to help each other live on the street: the little girl helps Peter collect money from his audience, and the musician teaches Blanka how to sing. Blanka has a beautiful voice and, for the first time in her life, she sees that she has other skills other than stealing. However, Peter is concerned about Blanka’s future on the streets; the wisest thing to do for Blanka would probably be to take her to an orphanage. When Blanka finds out Peter’s intentions, she runs away. So she is back to the starting point: stealing and facing street dangers once again. But when the situation is getting truly critical, Peter appears, just in time to save her.

Festivals:
Venice IFF 2015, Just Film Tallinn 2015, Olympia CFF Pyrgos 2015 (awarded), Ciné-Jeune de l'Aisne 2016 (awarded), Kristiansand CFF 2016, Munich CFF 2016, Tel Aviv CFF 2017 (ECFA Award), Carrousel Rimouski (Canada) 2016 (awarded), KinOdiseea Bucarest 2016 (awarded), Zinetxiki Bilbao 2016, Kinderfilmfest Steiermark Graz 2016, Olympia CFF Pyrgos 2016, Stuttgarter Kinderfilmtage 2016, Europees Jeugdfilmfestival Vlaanderen Antwerp and Brugge 2017, Providence CFF 2017 (awarded), Women's Film Festival Dortmund 2017, Tromsø CFF 2017, Kids Film Festival Warsaw 2017 (awarded), Mannheim-Heidelberg IFF 2017, Würzburg IFF 2018, Sehpferdchen Hannover 2018, Bremen CFF 2018, KinderKinoFest Duesseldorf

Website: www.facebook.com/blankathemovie

Study guide: German

Study guide: Greek

World sales address/es:
Dorje Film (IT)

Sold to:
ASC Distribution (FR)
Der Filmverleih (DE)
Bundesverband Jugend und Film (DE)
European Dreams Factory (ES)