Need to know: Beluga Tree was founded in 2017 by Diana Elbaum, one of the legendary figures of European independent production. Elbaum, who previously set up Entre Chien et Loup in 1989, has a filmography that stretches back to films such as Chantal Akerman’s A Couch In New York and Sam Gabarski’s Irina Palm. She launched Beluga Tree as part of the Los Angeles, London, Brussels, Paris and Amsterdam-based Caviar Group. The relationship with Caviar is “very organic” says Elbaum, but her basic remit is to develop French-speaking projects, working with newcomers and established talents, across features, TV dramas, local Belgian comedies and arthouse dramas from African directors such as Chad’s Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, whose Lingui: The Sacred Bonds was in Cannes’ Competition last year. New producer partner David Ragonig, formerly of Scope Pictures, joined Beluga Tree in February. He will develop his own slate while working with Elbaum on some of Beluga Tree’s bigger projects.
Key personnel: Diana Elbaum, founder and producer; David Ragonig, producer.
Incoming: New projects being hatched by Beluga Tree include Arno Salters’ The Paris Project, recently presented at the Berlinale Co-Production Market. The romantic comedy is about a young man who unknowingly signs up for the Paris Project, a top-secret, government-funded effort to create the ideal Paris experience for tourists. On the TV side, Elbaum is working on Restart, a romantic political thriller scripted by Leora Kamenetzky (Fauda) and Alma Ganihar.
Diana Elbaum says: “Coming from French-speaking Belgium, you cannot do a film without a co-production [partner]… or two or three or four.”
Contact: diana@belugatree.be
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