Theo Angelopoulos - whose latest film Trilogy 1: The Weeping Meadow will screen in competition at next month's Berlinale - is preparing to shoot his next film.

Angelopoulos is developing two projects. He told ScreenDaily.com: "I cannot determine right now which one will start rolling first but I am determined to start shooting one late this year".

One is The Third Feather, the second part of the Trilogy which also includes the Eternal Return and follows a young couple through the historic events of last century.

The second project, The Dead Zone, is to be shot on both sides of the Cyprus dividing line which separates the Turkish Cypriot and the Greek Cypriot community.

It seems likely, however, that the latter will be chosen. One reason is that the Third Feather calls for a long and arduous shoot in seven countries and three continents.

Also in favour of the Dead Zone is the fact that a solution to the long-standing problem of the divided island could emerge any time. The UN and the Bush administration is lobbying hard for a resolution, which could also be prompted by the island's accession to the EU next May and the Greek general elections next March.

In terms of cast, Angelopoulos said "preliminary contacts have already been established with Harvey Keitel (Ulysses' Gaze) and Elias Koteas."

The script is also in place, penned by the director himself, while The Third Wing is written by Angelopoulos with his usual screen-writing collaborators, Italian veteran Tonino Guerra and Greek writer Petros Markaris.

Angelopoulos will again produce, backed by a number of regular foreign partners such as Italy's Classic Films, France's Studio Canal and most probably the Greek Film Centre and the Greek Broadcasting Corporation.

Pre sales will be initially handled by Angelopoulos Productions. The film's budget hovers around the Euros 5m mark, similar to the Euros 5.6m for The Weeping Meadow.