Ducks – An Urban Legend

Source: Courtesy of Rogovin Brothers

‘Ducks – An Urban Legend’

Amsterdam-based sales outfit Fortissimo Films has snapped up international sales rights for Ducks – An Urban Legend, an Israeli comedy by Shahar Rozen which world premieres in competition at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival early next month.

The deal for Fortissimo to handle the title was struck between the film’s producer, Oren Rogovin of Rogovin Brothers, and Fortissimo Films’ general manager Amsterdam Gabrielle Rozing. Fortissimo will present the film to buyers at the American Film Market.

Backing for the project came from United King Films, The Israeli Film Fund and the Israeli Lottery Council for Culture & Arts.

Ducks - An Urban Legend is set on the “wrong side” of Tel Aviv. In the film, five characters in three interlinked stories address childhood trauma as they pursue self-redemption. Among the protagonists, Yossi and Chris are in love and want to marry, even if they have little money. Anna and Asaf are battling to stay afloat financially. Elias, a Christian Palestinian who was forced to collaborate with Isreali security agency Shin Bet, fights for life. They are like “rubber ducks travelling in the ocean.”

Director Shahar Rozen, together with writer Dudu Busi and the ensemble of actors, wrote a script which was inspired by stories of people living in HaTikva (“Hope” in Hebrew), a district in Tel Aviv.

Rozen is the founder of Chubbuck Israel Acting Studio and director of documentaries and feature films including Liebe Perla (1998) Mother V (2001) and Round Trip (2003).

The cast is led by Roi Miller, Diana Abramov, Erez Drigues, Rinat Matatov and Sarel Piterman.