The Negotiator

THE PRODUCERS

BSX

BSX Film has dealt with these topic in previous documentary productions: from the unresolved conflict in Cyprus to the social impact of the conflict in the Basque Country in the present. From the perspective of us as Austrian co-producers, the role of neutral mediators also has an additional historical significance: Austria is a neutral country since its regained independence after the Second World War. What interests us about this production is above all the chance of a change of perspective, which can be gained by looking at such conflicts from the perspective of a neutral mediator and not from the perspective of either side.

The storytelling concept is completely focused on the role of the mediators themselves and shows on the one hand the sober clarity with which they do their work. On the other hand, the film also shows the passion and courage you need to take on this task.

We share this passion for dealing with difficult topics with our main protagonists ourselves as filmmakers.

FIRST HAND FILMS

How politics works, what really determines the structures in which we live and, ultimately, who does what exactly: these are issues that fascinate us. And to enjoy the privilege of looking behind the scenes at the great NGO negotiators as they work on the central issues of world politics. This privilege has been granted to us by the Spanish side of this co-production.

What began as a simple portrait of the Catalan mediator Jordi Raich became, after this collaboration, an intense, curious and critical look behind the scenes of international political reconciliation work. We found a female protagonist. We have more facets in the representation of the work and a critical approach.

OTTOKAR

The Negotiators is a journey into the conflict zones that are shaking the world. Also to the mechanisms for investigating solutions to them and, above all, to the people who make it possible. The world is at war and this door has been open to us for a long time. Sometimes war is strident and fills the media, other times it is invisible and silent. But in this vast planetary scenario of entrenched conflicts there is a group of people, the neutral intermediaries, who are determined to commit their lives to achieving peace. At a moment in history when everything seems to be dominated by shadows, "The Negotiators" wants to bring a ray of light and explain how these conflicts can be resolved.

Ottokar's aim is to continue to seeking and creating mainstream television and film content and take advantage of the synergies of new technologies to develop all kinds of audiovisual content oriented to the international market.

JOSEP MORELL

Founding member and CEO of Ottokar. Journalist and a founding member of Catalunya Radio (Catalan public radio channel) in 1983. He Works on radio and newspapers. For 6 months he was a war correspondent for the 1st Gulf War. In 1992, he is part of the Capa Agency team in Barcelona. For more than 10 years he works for more than a 100 programmes for the “24 Hours” series and documentaries of all genres for Canal+. After 4 years working as a free-lancer he starts with 5 other partners, the production company La Quimera, with which he will develop and produce documentaries, programmes and series for TVE (“Stories on Wheels”, “Extreme Climate”), Cuatro, Canal +, TV3, Barcelona TV and the Catalan Network of Local TV. He has directed documentaries for Catalan Television The series “Without Fiction” ("Water, Hell and Sky", a human story about the Spanish water polo team, "Patission Blues", a portrait of the Greek crisis, "Dressed in Black", a trip to Afghanistan with the journalist Mònica Bernabé who has lived and worked for eight years in this country and “I Can’t Go Back Home”, a portrait of the bureaucratic hell in which political refugees find themselves on arrival in Spain). In 2015, founding partner and co-director of Ottokar, he participates as co-director in the documentary "I can’t go back home", series "From bed to bed" for TV3 and the documentary "The silent men " for TVE and TV3. ONDAS National Television Award, 2018.

Truncated Lives, Stories of Impunity, tells the stories of different people who have died as victims of police violence in the last 50 years for TV3. Ernest Lluch, free and daring, a documentary about one of the most important people who helped Spain become a modern country. While trying to build bridges of understanding in the Basque Country, the Barcelona command ended his life in 2000, (TVE,ETB and TV3).

JORDI VILAR

Founding member and CEO of Ottokar. He started his professional career in TVE in 1976, at the program department, as editor. In 1990, he founded GHV, a company dedicated to post production and audiovisual production. He works as film, event, documentaries and advertising director, working on more than a hundred episodes of the "24 Hours" series for CAPA TV and Canal + España / Francia, TV3, ARTE channel and TVE. In the 1998/2007 period he works as director of the audiovisual development of the ACB corporate image. During the years 2000-2006, Euroleague entrusts him the implementation and development of their corporate image. Founding member and co-director of Quimera, he participates as co-director and series director for TVE: “Stories on Wheels”, “4 REC Reporters” and BTV’s “SoundTrack”. He co-directed and directed TV3’s mini-series "From Here and There" and different documentaries for “Without Fiction” program: “Candidate Mas, President Mas, the countdown”, “Patission Avenue, the portrait of the Greek crisis”, “Dressed in Black” and “I Can’t Go Back Home”. In 2015, founding partner and co-director of Ottokar, he participates as co-director and executive producer in the documentary "I can’t go back home", series "From bed to bed" for TV3 and the documentary "The silent men " for TVE and TV3. ONDAS National Television Award, 2018.

ESTHER VAN MESSEL

Esther van Messel, born 1965 in Vienna, lives in Switzerland and holds a Bachelor's degree in film & television production and in history from the University of Tel Aviv.

In 1990, she joined Warner Bros. Israel and became Head of Distribution. From 1992, she produced international feature films and documentaries as Head of Co-Production and Sales for an independent production company in Zurich.

Since 1998, Esther van Messel runs her own company First Hand Films in Zurich and Berlin. FHF represents close to 300 hand-picked films and 200 producers from all over the world and acts as Executive Producer for selected projects and is present at all major festivals around the year, and distributes films theatrically in Swiss cinemas.

Today, First Hand Films have been seen by many millions of people. First Hand Films have competed in Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Rotterdam, Locarno, San Sebastian, Sundance, Toronto and many other festivals. Its very first pick-up went on to receive the Oscar© for Best Documentary Feature. Since then, most First Hand Films have won awards: Emmy, Prix Europa, numerous IDFA main awards, Biarritz, Banff, Grimme, Grand Prix Nyon, National Film Awards, European Film Awards, Silver Leopards, Golden Rose Montreux and more. In 2010, the company represented yet another Oscar Nominee. Esther van Messel has been working as lecturer, consultant panel participant and moderator on all five continents.

She has served on juries in Europe and abroad and has been appointed member of the Eurodoc Steering Committee, the Selection Committee for the Austrian Film Institute and currently the Swiss Film Subsidy Commission.

HANSJÜRGEN SCHMÖLZER

Hansjürgen Schmölzer is a documentary filmmaker, publisher and cultural project manager. He is founder & owner of BSX Schmölzer GmbH, a Film & Media- & Cultural-Project Production Company. His TV- documentaries, mainly for the ORF, are focusing on socio-cultural and cultural-historic topics. From the origins of monotheism (“When God still was a woman”), anthropological sotries (“Matera – from stoneage to cyberspace), sotries about cultural clashes (“Cyprus – Island between two cultures”) to feature-length films about the future of democracy in the digital society (“Riot in the Matrix”).

FILM- & TV-PRODUCTIONS:

Riot in the Matrix Documentary Film, 2019 Writer, Director, Producer, Matera – From stoneage to cyberspace TV-Documentary, 2018 Writer, Director, Producer Cyprus – Island between two cultures TV-Documentary, 2017 Writer, Director, Producer San Sebastián – Kitchen of dignity TV-documentary, 2016 Writer, Director, Producer When god still was a woman TV-documentary, 2015 Writer & Director (together with Markus Mörth) ORF-Kulturmontag Cultural TV-Magazine Reports, 2007 – 2018 Editor & Writer AUFBAUEND TV-Magazine-Report Series for ORF Steiermark
Producer, Editor, 30 episodes, 2014 – 2017 CREATIVE AUSTRIA MAGAZINE Cultural TV-Magazine for ORF-3SAT, 2007 Producer & Writer

He is also editor in chief of the bilingual cultural magazine CREATIVE AUSTRIA.

He was responsible for marketing & communication of projects like Graz 2003 cultural capital of Europe, Vienna Mozart Year 2006, Linz 2009, Haydn Year 2009 and several European museums and festivals and was awarded with the Globe Award 2003 for the worldwide best marketed cultural project (Graz 2003) and with the Austrian "Staatspreis Marketing".

INTERNATIONAL SALES AGENT

Dedicated Production and tailor-made Distribution for every story in every medium everywhere.

Since 1998, Esther van Messel runs her own company FIRST HAND FILMS in Zurich and Berlin. FHF represents close to 300 hand-picked films and 200 producers from all over the world and acts as Executive Producer for selected projects and is present at all major festivals around the year, and distributes films theatrically in Swiss cinemas.

First Hand Films is an international sales agent, a theatrical distributor in Switzerland and a producer based in Zürich. . FHF has sold hundreds of licenses worldwide, turned over more than ten million Euro and its films have won many awards including Emmies, Golden Roses and Oscar Nominations. Since 2013 FHF operates also as theatrical distributor in Switzerland and has released a number of international fiction and non-fiction films. For selected projects FHF acts as Executive Producer with global access to talented filmmakers, broadcasters and funding bodies. FHF works with ambitious and accessible projects worldwide, combining intelligence, practical knowledge and experience.

Today, First Hand Films have been seen by many millions of people all over the world, in cinemas, on TV and online.

INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT

Efímero Films was created in 2016, founded by professionals with a long record in various audiovisual specialities. The company covers the need to develop genuine audiovisual products, copyright and trademarks, both intellectual and technological, to work on all kind of platforms. Above all, these products must have strong international co-production potential. Efímero Films is intended to develop, produce and promote international co-productions, with a marked Hispanic and Mediterranean accent. It aims to be the meeting point and platform where the exchange, development of ideas, training and professional advice concur.

COLLABORATOR

Antaviana Films is a film company specializing in post-production and digital effects. We are a team of professionals with a groundbreaking career behind us, enjoying today a well-deserved renown and prestige in the sector. Whilst some of us have been working together for over 20 years, others have been joining us along the way, always providing us with fresh and different points of view, accompanied by technological avant-garde expertise and international experience; no twithstanding their unique talents and their curiosity, a trademark of forthcoming generations.