The film SHADOW OF VICTORY by award-winning Norwegian director Bård Breien was screened at the prestigious Art Film Festival in Košice, Slovakia. This impressive Norwegian-Slovak international co-production offers a powerful story of two brothers bound by the world of professional boxing yet divided by their own flawed decisions. The film follows the life story of Magne Havnaa, Norway’s first world boxing champion, and his brother Erling, who accompanied him on the road to success as a trainer but later became involved in the biggest bank robbery in Norway’s history.
Team Havnaa was developed over several years and combines a sports drama with a psychological portrait of brotherhood, fame and moral decline. A significant part of the shoot consisted of boxing scenes staged with hundreds of extras and a focus on choreographic precision. “We shot partly in Norway and partly in Slovakia. The hardest thing to realise was the boxing itself, which is essentially choreography. We had 400 extras in the stands. If we hadn’t been perfectly prepared for these scenes, it would have ended terribly, but I have to say it turned out great,” says director Bård Breien.
Part of the film was shot in Slovakia, mainly in Bratislava, which in the film represents various European locations including Copenhagen. Several Slovak film professionals joined the creative team, such as production designer Oto Häusler, composer Michal Novinski and musician Jonatán Pastirčák (Pjoni). The Slovak producer of the film is Zuzana Mistríková.
“Filmmaking today is a very international affair. I think that almost anywhere in our part of the world, films are made in the same way. In Slovakia there are more people on set, the crews tend to be bigger, but otherwise you feel you’re working with the same people, whether they’re Slovaks or Norwegians. My experience of shooting in Bratislava was great. I think we also share something in our view of the world. What I remember most from Slovakia is above all the warmth of the people and their determination to make a great film,” the director recalls.
Magne Havnaa entered history as Norway’s first professional world boxing champion at light-heavyweight when he defeated American Richard Pultz in 1990. His brother Erling, himself a successful kick-boxer, gave up his own sporting goals to support his younger sibling, yet the tragic consequences of his actions largely overshadowed the brothers’ sporting success.
The 31st IFF ART FILM is made possible thanks to the support of:
Organizer: ART FILM FEST s.r.o.
Co-organizers: Mesto Košice · K13 – Košické kultúrne centrá · Visit Košice · ART FILM FEST, n.o. · LGM, s.r.o. · FORLIVE
Financial support: Audiovizuálny fond · Nadácia SPP
Co-financed by: Košický samosprávny kraj through the Terra Incognita programme
Main Partners: národná lotériová spoločnosť TIPOS · Slovenská elektrizačná prenosová sústava, a.s. · CODES Brand House
Main Media Partners: TV JOJ · Pravda · Eurotelevízia
Automotive Partner: Moris Slovakia
Advertising Partners: Best Press · U. S. Steel Košice · ANTIK telecom · Kino Úsmev · LOKO TRANS Media · CORE Labs · Technická univerzita v Košiciach
Technology Partners: NOV · ZEBRA · Deutsche Telekom Systems Solutions Slovakia · T4H · LEDGO · DELTA OnLine · ARICOMA · TelekomCLOUD
Official Suppliers: DKC Veritas · Kaviareň Slávia · PLOOM · Krušovice BOHÉM · pramenitá voda Lucka · DOMOS SLOVAKIA · Reštaurácia Contessa · Aupark Shopping Center Košice · Pierre Baguette · Julius Meinl · Red Fox Golf Club
Official wines: Kubbo Select · Ostrožovič
Media Partners: JOJ play · JOJ 24 · Film Europe · Rádio KOŠICE · Aktuality.sk · Forbes · Startitup.sk · Korzár · Slovenka · SITA · TASR · Mediaboard · See & Go · Česko-Slovenská filmová databáze – ČSFD · BigMedia · Košice City Guide · Košice v skratke · Film.sk · diva.sk · koktejl.sk · zenskyweb.sk · MOJAkultúra · Kino Sterio · Dopravný podnik mesta Košice · AHOJ TV
Partners: JOJ Cinema · Jojko · Veľvyslanectvo Indie v Bratislave · Carmeuse Slovakia · DDDental · TINY Houses · ECO Technologies · Letisko Košice · Local Nomad Tours · Slovenský filmový ústav · Taper · YumEarth · Puella vône · Kvety Garomi · čLOVEčina hra · Rakúske kultúrne fórum · TESCO Store SK · CPK Transport · Tabačka Kulturfabrik · King Media · Východoslovenské múzeum v Košiciach · Letní filmová škola · KPK Reklama · MIHYRING · Zoberma taxi · Hair Factory Košice · Veľvyslanectví České republiky v Bratislavě
Gastronomy Partners: Pub u Kohúta · El Nacional · OhniskO Fire Dining & Brew Bar · Maiko Sushi · Macarons Košice · šum vináreň · Café de Paris · Casa Trade – Casablanca cafe · TATRATEA · Moritz Eis
