TV Channel Ukraine has launched the shooting of the first ever Ukrainian/Latvian TV Series with its counterpart being Helio Media, a Latvian media company.
“We are extremely keen on coproduction projects with Ukraine. The on-going ambitious project is the first one to be presented to Latvia’s audience. It is the joint creative endeavor, engagement of leading Ukrainian producers and most popular actors from both, Latvia and Ukraine that would hopefully give rise to a unique international product offering something new and captivating to Ukrainian and Latvian viewers. The series named Markus signals, in fact a turning point in our cooperation. By now our viewers have been actually fascinated by Ukrainian made series and shows giving due to their dynamics, passions power to bring out positive emotions”, – said Kaspars Ozolins, Director, Helio Media.
Victoria Korogod, Director, Ukraine TV Channel, doubled down on the development of full-fledged international cooperation as one of the TV Channel’s priorities. “Successful series production based on international formats is where we have really scored. However, by making a start on cooperation with Helio Media we get to a new level of international partnership, i.e. a full – fledged coproduction aimed at creating a product, which would cater to the needs of both audiences to the fullest extent possible. And I am quite sure that the story would not leave them cold bringing us high ratings and giving rise to prospective projects”, – commented Victoria Korogod.
Iryna Chernyak, Director, TV Content Sales Department, Media Group Ukraine, Director, Product Acquisitions, TV Channel Ukraine, stressed the importance of cooperation with the EU member states. “Media Group Ukraine has been successfully selling its own content to Baltic region for several years. Now we have reached a new level of cooperation having launched a story originally adapted to both markets. We have suggested the idea of Markus and partners from Helio Media immediately saw international potential of our story. I am confident that this project will lay the foundations to numerous international coproduction projects in future”, – added Iryna Chernyak.
Thus Markus, an 8 episode detective series would become the first international cooperation product. The story starts to unfold with Polina Klochko, an ordinary teacher, being caught in the middle of events when her son Markus has been kidnapped straight from the kindergarten.
“We start the shooting from the part of the story which takes place in Riga. We view it as a full- fledged coproduction experience and a chance to get familiar with our colleagues’ work practice and co-operate at each and every production stage. I am sure that the kind of experience would become a trend in the nearest future”, – commented Nataliya Stribuk, Chief Producer, Department of Film Series Production, TV Channel Ukraine .
Speaking of the cast it is worth noting that the script is written by Lera Kolegayeva and Volodymyr Skyba based on the original idea by Igor Volkov with Anton Azarov acting as director.
The shooting location would be in both, Latvia and Kyiv and also Kyiv region with Latvian and Ukrainian actors engaged. The series will be produced by Art Territory production company.
