Bavaria Film International has taken worldwide rights toMilcho Manchevski's new picture, Bones. It is the Macedoniandirector's third feature after Dust, which opened theVenice Film Festival in 2001, and Before The Rain, which earnedan Oscar nomination and the Venice Golden Lion in 1994.

Bones, which marks New York-based Manchevski's return to Macedonia,is a mythical love story and contemporary tale about a young doctorwho embarks on a soul-searching and investigative journey aftera near-fatal car crash.

The picture, which has a budget of around Euros 4.5m, isa co-production between Macedonia (Senka Film), Bulgaria (Sia Advertising/CameraLtd), Germany (Blue Eyes Fiction GmbH & Co. KG), Italy (Classic) andSpain (Tornasol Films). It has also received'funding fromEurimages.

Bones starts production in June in Macedonia. The keyinterior sets are being built in a converted milk-pasteurizing plant inSkopje, Macedonia. Director of photography is Fabio Cianchetti (TheDreamers) with music by Kryzystof Kieslowski composer ZbigniewPreisner.

Bavaria Film International's Cannes slate includesDirectors' Fortnight title Summer'04 by Stefan Krohmer as well asCritics Week titles Komma by Martine Doyen, about a manwho wakes up in the middle of the night only to realize he is lying in amorgue; and Jens Lien'sThe Bothersome Man, about a 40-year-old man whoarrives in a city with no memory of how he go there.