European production group Newen Studios is teaming with Oscar-nominated Danish producer Sigrid Dyekjaer to launch production company Real Lava.
Based in Denmark, Real Lava will aim to produce cinematic documentary films and series for international audiences. Kicking off Real Lava’s documentary slate is Alex Pritz’s “The Territory” which will be premiering at Sundance. “The Territory” follows the indigenous Uru-eu-wau-wau community as they defend their land against a network of Brazilian farmers who are colonizing their protected territory.
A leading figure in the film industry, Dyekjaer has produced some 30 documentary features in the past 23 years. She most recently produced Feras Fayyad’s Oscar-nominated documentary “The Cave” which won Emmy and Peabody and Cinema Eye awards.
The Paris-headquartered Newen Studios has scaled up its international presence in recent years, investing in production companies in the U.K., Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Canada and Denmark. The group is already well established in the documentary field. Real Lava will be Newen’s first Scandinavian company specialized in producing premium documentary films and series.
Dyekjaer said the company will look to “help directors in the development phase of their films in order to support their artistic vision and bring it up to a higher cinematic level, without being rushed and getting into production too soon.”
The revered producer said Real Lava will aim to keep the world rights for the films longer. As such the company will “keep focusing on the creative side and open the possibility to leverage bigger commissions at a later stage,” explained Dyekjaer, who is a member of the PGA and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She said she noticed during her 23 years as a producer “how difficult it is to raise money from Europe for international documentary films.”
“My partnership with Newen Studios will allow us to support projects with big international potential,” said the producer.
Philippe Levasseur, Newen Studios’ head of international, praised Dyekjaer for her “passion for documentaries, along with her expertise in gathering the best talents and assembling international coproductions. The executive also pointed out the “demand for documentaries has reached a historical high.”
Real Lava’s upcoming films include Eva Weber’s “Merkel”, a portrait about Angela Merkel and female leadership; “A Song for Summer and Winter,” directed by Oscar nominated Director Talal Detki; “Innocence,” directed by Oscar-nominated Guy Davidi; and “Missing Films” a film about Lars von Trier directed by Tomas Gislason and Jacob Thuesen.