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The story of an amazing Franco-Hungarian cinematographer in the turbulent times of the end of Empires. Based on Antoine Kope's memoirs.
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"Antoine the Fortunate” charts the rise and fall of the fortunes of this ordinary man and his Austro-Hungarian family. They witnessed the dramatic events leading to the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire and the creation of modern Turkey. Antoine has recorded his story in hundreds of hitherto unreleased home movies, photographs, drawings, audio recordings and letters from the early 20th century to the 1970’s when he emigrated to the US.
The film is a first person account of the radical transformations brought about by the end of the age of empires and one man’s struggle to survive to find his place in a changing world.
Today, Turkey and the Middle East carry many contradictions that were playing out during Antoine’s life: ambiguity towards religion, repression of minorities, extreme nationalism, emergence of populist leaders and never-ending conflicts. Antoine’s tale helps us to make sense of these transformations, which continue to define our world today.
Festivals and Awards:
* 2022: FOCAL INTL AWARDS: Winner category "Best Use of Footage in a History Production"
2019: Sunny Side of the Doc - Award for "Best History Pitch"