We are delighted to announce that we have boarded international sales rights of the upcoming hospital drama ‘HELDIN’ (original title, international title to be confirmed) directed and scripted by Petra Volpe and featuring highly praised Shooting Star Leonie Benesch. The film started shooting end January in Switzerland and is expected to have its local release in 2025.
HELDIN (directly translated into “Heroine” in English) is a gripping feature drama by acknowledged Swiss-Italian director and screenwriter Petra Volpe, who is particularly known for her Tribeca Audience Award-winning feature THE DIVINE ORDER (2017), which sold to major territories world-wide and was selected as the Swiss entry for the 'Best Foreign Language Film' at the 90th Academy Awards.
With her new film, Volpe delves into the timely theme of healthcare challenges, delivering a compelling, humanistic narrative. With a respectful and light-hearted touch, HELDIN pays homage to nursing staff, underscoring the profound significance of compassionate care for all.
HELDIN started shooting end January in Switzerland and has a top team both in on/off screen.
The film stars EFP 2023 Shooting Star winner Leonie Benesch in the lead. Benesch may currently be seen in the Academy Award®-nominated THE TEACHERS LOUNGE (2023), which also took home two awards at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival. In addition, she appears in the award-winning TV series BABYLON BERLIN (2017-).
The film marks the third collaboration between director Petra Volpe and acknowledged cinematographer and writer Judith Kaufmann, the latter serving as cinematographer on the film.
Synopsis:
FLORIA, a dedicated nurse, navigates the relentless pace on a surgical ward with unwavering dedication, infusing humanity and warmth into her patient care even though the shift is understaffed. As the day intensifies, HELDIN transforms into a gripping race against time, culminating in a riveting climax.
Managing Director of TrustNordisk, Susan Wendt, comments on the project:
‘After the great cooperation on “The Divine Order”, we are thrilled to be reunited with Petra Volpe and the Zodiac team on this strong and captivating project, which we believe has a strong international potential.’
The film has a budget of EUR 3.7M and is expected to have its local release in 2025.
The film is distributed by TOBIS in Germany and Austria and by Filmcoopi Zürich in Switzerland.
HELDIN is directed and written by Petra Volpe. The film is produced by Reto Schaerli and Lukas Hobi from Zodiac Pictures, in co-production with MMC Zodiac, Swiss Radio and Television and SRG SSR. With support from Federal Office of Culture, Zurcher Filmstiftung, German Federal Film Board, Suissimage and the cantons of Aargau and Lucerne. International sales are handled by TrustNordisk.
For more information about the film, please visit out website.
