Cinetic Media, a prominent US content management, financing, and sales banner, has recently acquired the world rights to a captivating documentary titled “Two Strangers Trying Not to Kill Each Other.” This life-affirming film sheds light on the extraordinary lives of legendary photographer Joel Meyerowitz and his wife, the talented artist and author Maggie Barrett.
A Debut Documentary by Rising Filmmaking Duo
Making their documentary debut, London-based duo Manon Ouimet and Jacob Perlmutter, known as Manon et Jacob, take the helm as the filmmakers behind this remarkable project. The documentary has received support from esteemed producers such as Signe Byrge Sørensen, the Danish producer behind Oscar-nominated films like “Flee,” “The Look of Silence,” and “The Act of Killing.”
World Premiere and Compelling Partnerships
“Two Strangers Trying Not to Kill Each Other” is set to have its world premiere on March 16 in the Dox:award main competition at Copenhagen’s renowned international documentary festival, CPH:DOX. Apart from the talented filmmakers, the documentary boasts an impressive lineup of co-producing partners, including Fremantle-owned doc label Undeniable, led by Mandy Chang, and Louverture Films, long-time partners of Final Cut for Real.
An Intimate Portrait of Love and Reflection
This character-driven documentary delves into the intricacies of the relationship between the strong-willed individuals, Maggie and Joel, who are 75 and 84 years old respectively. Joel, a legendary photographer and pioneer of street and color photography, remains active and sought-after for exhibitions and talks. Maggie, a versatile artist, yearns for recognition. However, when she breaks her femur, Joel becomes her caregiver. In the face of mortality, the couple embarks on a journey of self-reflection, seeking shared inner peace while pondering what brings them together and apart.
“The film explores how to honor the self as an individual while supporting the other through lifelong searches, struggles, and success,” explain Manon Ouimet and Jacob Perlmutter, who are also a couple in real life.
A Chance Encounter That Inspired a Year-Long Project
The film’s inception can be traced back to a fortuitous encounter in London between Perlmutter and his street photography idol, Joel, and his wife. Struck by the couple’s loving relationship, Perlmutter reached out to them years later during the COVID-19 pandemic with the idea of documenting their inspiring story. With Ouimet joining as co-director and sound recorder, the four embarked on a year-long journey into the unknown.
“Rapidly trust developed between us and deepened over time,” Perlmutter reflects. Despite the significant generational gap, the two pairs discovered a shared set of values that paved the way for a remarkable collaboration.
Aesthetics and Collaborative Inspiration
Perlmutter and Ouimet drew inspiration from the protagonists’ talents for the film’s aesthetic. For instance, they used Maggie’s piano compositions as inspiration for the score and incorporated Joel’s photography and his quote, “Two strangers trying not to kill each other,” into the title.
Perlmutter’s visual style in the film takes cues from Meyerowitz’s renowned sense of framing and composition. Understanding the power of center-framing, the co-director strived to anticipate the essence of each scene, even at its edges.
Noteworthy Collaborators and Cross-Generational Appeal
To bring the film to fruition, Ouimet and Perlmutter enlisted the expertise of Janus Billeskov Jansen, a seasoned Danish editor and co-founder of Final Cut for Real, who served as an editing consultant and executive producer. Signe Byrge Sørensen also played a vital role as a producer alongside the filmmaking duo.
To gauge its impact on audiences, the production partners organized test screenings that sparked meaningful conversations and showcased the documentary’s cross-generational appeal. Byrge Sørensen explains, “Our audiences saw themselves in Jacob and Manon’s portrait of Maggie and Joel, no matter their age or the kind of relationships they were in. I think this happened because, across generations, we all share the struggle for love and recognition, the issue of how we see and care for each other, and the urgency that comes with acknowledging that our time on this earth is limited.”
Future Release and Cinetic Media’s Impressive Lineup
“Two Strangers Trying Not to Kill Each Other” has already been pre-sold to public stations DR in Denmark, SVT in Sweden, and NRK in Norway. Following its world premiere at CPH:DOX, Signe Byrge Sørensen, in collaboration with Cinetic Media, will explore opportunities for theatrical, TV, and streaming releases.
Cinetic Media is known for its exceptional lineup of documentaries, including notable titles like “Summer of Soul,” “RGB,” “Descendant,” “The First Wave,” and “Collective.”
To know more about this fascinating documentary, visit the source link.