Kelly Hetherington

                 



SUCCESS! Due to the incredible support from our backers so far, we have blown away our goal with a week left to spare! This means Kurzeme Fortress WILL be made! We now have an opportunity to raise more funds that can go to making the film even better by securing the right talent and equipment to breathe life into the film. To that end, we are introducing stretch goals which outline where we will direct any further funds we raise.



Each of the tiers below are aspects of the film that we want to include, and that your funds will go towards making a reality. As a reward for your support and generosity, all backers who pledge BEFORE each stretch goal will receive an exclusive item in addition to their backer rewards.


$4,000 (ACHIEVED): Kurzeme Fortress WILL be made! All backers before this goal will receive a digital poster upon completion!

$4,500 (ACHIEVED): These funds will allow us to secure the services of a composer and professional sound designer. As a result, all backers before this goal will receive a copy of the soundtrack upon completion!

$5,000 (PENDING): These funds will allow us to upgrade our lighting truck and secure a drone required for certain shots, which will drastically boost the production value of the film. All backers prior to this stage will receive early access to behind-the-scenes stills and our production Vlogs.

$5,500 (PENDING): At this tier, we will be able to secure a team in order to create a wonderful behind-the-scenes documentary detailing what goes into making a film like Kurzeme Fortress. All backers prior to this stage will receive early access to the finished documentary!




MY FAMILY'S HEART STOPPING JOURNEY

An unimaginable true story of love, the tragedy of war and ultimately the power of hope.

The tiny country of Latvia is caught between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. World War II has mercilessly arrived. Millia has just married her dearly beloved Voldemars and soon they will have Andris, their first and only child.

A fond writer and poet, Voldemars signed up as Latvian soldier before the war. When the Soviets conquered the country, he was forced into the Red Army.

Only a year later, Nazi Germany forced it's way into Latvia and Voldemars' gunner unit was killed. He escaped into the forest but was captured by the Nazis. Starved by the Germans in a POW camp, Voldemars was eventually forced into a German uniform to fight against the Soviet Red army. Now serving as a Latvian in the German army, Voldemars continued to write letters to his wife.

                     "In Love": Millia & her husband Voldemars in Latvia.

In a terrifying no-win situation, Millia received her final letter from Voldemars simply saying "Today I left for Kurzeme." She had no choice but to flee with their child and leave her love on the bloody battlefield of Kurzeme; an almost certain death sentence as the Red Army closed in. Forty years later on the other side of the world, Millia's past will come to visit her.

Kurzeme Fortress is written and directed by Millia’s surviving grandson, Kelly who now lives in Brisbane, Australia. It is co-directed by Luke Farrow and produced by the talented Grace Julia. It is a screenplay adaptation from the book “Andris Where Are You?". 

Kurzeme Fortress is a short film outlining the incredible experiences of this young family. After almost 6 years of pain-staking research and preparation, Kelly has crafted a carefully considered script incorporating a beautiful array of visual and cinematic moments that he hopes will take the audience on a very special journey.


                  
                  





All of our camera crew, cast and post production team are professionally trained and are currently working within the film and television industry within Australia and overseas. This is NOT an amateur or student production, but rather has the backing of a range of experienced professionals who are exceptional within their fields with each person truly an asset to this production.


 Kurzeme Fortress is Kelly Hetherington’s directorial debut. Starting out very young as a trained dancer, theater actor and singer, his passion for film and important story propelled him into another four years of intense training at the Sydney Actor’s Pulse using the renowned Meisner technique. He is an uncompromising supporter for local film making & is deeply passionate about quality movies that touch the heart, starring in the 2014 short film Departures. It’s this passionate support for film and important story that has pushed him to over five years of research and development to breathe life into the vibrant characters behind the  true story at the heart of Kurzeme Fortress. World War II was an exceptionally dark time in our history, and Kelly is passionate about revealing the humanity that prevailed through the darkness.

             
Luke Farrow is the talented Director of Photographyand Co-Director for Kurzeme Fortress. He received formal education at JMC Academy in Brisbane, where he directed Departures at the age of just 18 and collaborated with Kelly for the first time. Luke was quickly head-hunted for local productions, proving his mettle as the Director of Photography on the highly successful short film Gifted. This success spring-boarded him into an international career. Now working on productions in Los Angeles, China and Australia, Luke’s talent has landed him key roles on a range of productions, including Angelina Jolie’s Unbroken. Luke’s undoubted passion and work ethic belies his youth and provides the foundation for his experience that outstrips many twice his age.



Highly recognised in the local film industry as a brilliant and driven producer, Grace has independently produced screen content and stills photography for well-known Australian companies and internationally recognised artists, along with a number of music videos. Graduating from QUT with Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Creative Industries, Grace now works as a freelance Production Coordinator and Production Assistant in both film and television. As production manager of Maiden, a short film that was funded by QPIX in conjunction with Screen Queensland in 2012, Grace led the team to win multiple national and international awards.



Luke Nicolaou is a perfectionist behind the screen of a computer; a talented editor with an eye for detail and storytelling, Kurzeme Fortress is Luke’s third short film as an editor over his five year career in the role. Luke received his Bachelor in Film and Television at JMC Academy in 2015, and is currently working as a camera operator and editor with Channel 7 News in Rockhampton. Prior to this, he edited the comedy short film Lingerie Lunacy and crime drama Unspoken Demons. In addition, Luke created a large variety of web content, including a scene remake from the film Fury that netted his team fifth place in Film Riot’s international film challenge.




CREW/Camera Dept - Derek Griffiths, Luke Farrow, Luke Nicolaou & Luke Higgins.








It is August 1939, both Hitler & Stalin have signed the infamous "Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact". A non-aggression treaty between Nazi Germany & the Soviet Union. This Pact however contained a top secret protocol… This included Latvia.

It is June 16, 1940 & 38,000 Soviet Red Army forces pour into Latvia forcing President Karlis Ulmanis to concede Latvia's sovereignty. This would signal the start of "The Year of Horror" where thousands upon thousands of Latvians were tortured, executed or "disappeared" under the Soviet regime. Freedom would come one year later, when Hitler pushed the Soviets out of the tiny country. This freedom was short-lived, with the Nazi's committing untold atrocities during its four year occupation of the country, executing an estimated 90,000 Latvians including Jews, Gypsy's and political opponents. During 1943 around 180,000 young Latvian men were forced into its army to fight the Red Army. 


                     Film storyboard by graphic artist Roger Heal

These Latvian soldiers would form the bulk of the Latvian Legion, arguably one of the most successful units in Latvia during World War II. This force recaptured a Soviet-controlled river in a daring counter-attack; it was also this unit that defended Kurzeme Fortress at the cost of an incredible loss of life until Germany finally surrendered and ended the war leaving Latvians to fend for themselves. The survivors were captured by Soviet forces and either executed or locked away in gulags for decades after the end of World War II, with Latvia remaining under the control of the Soviet Union until it gained its independence finally again in 1991.

It is estimated that between 1939 to 1945, 25% of Latvia's entire population were annihilated due to both Soviet and Nazi invasions, an estimated 300,000 to 500,000 civilians.                  
                  
Today the capital of Latvia, Riga, is the fifth most popular city to visit in Europe. Buildings and culture date as far back as 3000 BCE. Latvia is the second most forest-covered country in Europe and boasts number the one position in the world on the Environmental Performance Index. Latvia is now protected by NATO and part of the European Union.
             
                    
                     





Arguably one of the most difficult parts of a film is finding the money necessary to get it off the ground. The creation of a war film is a costly undertaking with a massive portion of the budget being dedicated to costumes, production design and props - many of which have to be custom made - in order to create an authentic film.

We are very fortunate to have Ian and Luke Sparke of Sparke Films on board to support this film. Sparke Films have an incredible wealth of over 80,000 military props and costumes and have worked on massive period productions like Beneath Hill 60, Wolverine and The Pacific. These men will be supporting this incredible endeavour as the production design team and supplying all of the costumes and props to truly take us back in time.

                                          Luke and Ian Sparke of Sparke Films

Other than that, our producer has created a comprehensive budget that outlines where we intend to focus the funds gathered via Pozible. These funds will be directed towards:

- Period production WW2, costume design, prop weapons Armorer & Set design

- Make-up, hair and prosthetics

- Locations

- Catering

- Camera and lens hire, 
sound recording equipment, 
lighting and grip gear

- Logistics and transport expenses

- Post production including editing, special effects,
colour grading, sound design and music composition 






There is so much work that we could display as part of the overall team, yet here are a few recent highlights of the teams achievements.

Departures - Written & Directed by Luke Farrow

Maiden - Production Managed by Grace Julia






Q: HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO MAKE THE FILM?
A: With our amazing array of supporters, we are aiming to have the film completed by this year, including shooting & post production.

Q: WHAT HAPPENS IF CREW/CAST/LOCATIONS/ETC PULL OUT?
A: Great communication is the key, and we have such a passionate crew & cast that everybody is eager to be there. We expect changes along the way and we adjust accordingly. Contingencies are budgeted and planned for during pre-production. As they say, that's show biz!

Q: WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU RUN OVER BUDGET/TIME?
A: It's all about the planning and expertise to execute effectively. Virtually everybody on the team understands their role through real experience so we can be confident any unexpected overheads are budgeted for well in advance.  

Q: WHAT WILL YOU DO IF YOU DON'T REACH YOUR GOAL?
A: "If at first you don't succeed, try, try and try again". We have based the amount requested on the very least we need to get the ball rolling and we want every cent our supporters give to have the best impact. It's not if, it's simply when.

Q: $4,000 DOESN'T SEEM LIKE ENOUGH TO MAKE A GOOD FILM... HOW WILL YOU MAKE THIS FILM HIGH QUALITY WITH SO LITTLE MONEY?
A: Often film costs blow right out due to equipment and the expertise level required, not to mention all the uniforms, props and even weapons needed. We have an amazingly passionate cast and crew who have given their time often at little or no cost meaning we can spend the money on the things often not seen in short films, like professional uniforms, locations and cinema lenses etc for that perfect shot.

Q: ARE YOU USING OTHER FUNDING SOURCES? IF SO, WHY DO YOU NEED POZIBLE?
A: Yes, we created an opportunity for other cultural organisations to give something who might want to assist and put their name to this beautiful film too. We wanted to spread costs to make it easier on our supporters and show just how committed we are to make an amazing film.

Q: I WANT TO HELP, BUT CAN'T PLEDGE MONEY IN SUPPORT. IS THERE ANY OTHER WAY I CAN HELP OUT?
A: Of course, in fact everything from Facebook shares to e-mailing someone directly you feel might really have a strong connection to this film culturally or otherwise could be worth more than you think. This is your film too, this story belongs to so many and we feel honoured to make it for you.





We want to thank you for reading this far. This film has been a long time in the making, and make no mistake: Kurzeme Fortress WILL be made. It is our hope that you will be willing to join us as the many years of preparation and research turn into reality and the gears of the production start turning. It will be an exciting journey and we will have a lot of stuff to share with you along the way and hopefully a fantastic film that you can be proud to say "I was there from the start". We hope to see you on the path.

Kind regards from the entire team on Kurzeme Fortress, 

~ Kelly Hetherington~