Man of the House
Date:
January 9, 2023
Man of the House
Looking for gap financing, festival release,
sales agent
Logline
In order to become a mother to the young and motherless niece, Fran, who although born a woman, lives the celibate life of a man, has to make the choice of either continuing to maintain the status of a man or giving it all up and reconnect with the feminine maternal feelings that she has suppressed for so long..
Synopsis
FRAN (48), born a female, has lead the life of a man, earning respect of the community as a man among men, according to the tradition of Sworn Virgins. On daily basis, Fran works as a bus driver and struggles to provide for her ailing father, ANTON (85), and her niece ZANA (11), that she is raising, ever since Zana’s father (and Fran’s brother) abandoned her, when he left for Italy after Zana’s mother died. Defying Frans orders, Zana plays with her friends on the bridge over the town’s river. Panicked from Fran’s sudden arrival, Zana slips on the bridge. It is Fran, who takes Zana to the emergency room almost lifeless. Although doctors have no hope, Fran doesn’t give up over Zana’s, until she comes back to life.
In the following days, while Zana’s father, Adrian, send presents from Italy, Fran is the one who strugglis to keep up with Zana’s needs, on top of her daily efforts to hold onto the hard-to-maintain bus route, and care for her ailing father at home. Now on, they spend more time together than ever before and gradually develop a close and special bond. Vulnerable and about to enter puberty, Zana sees Fran not only as her savior but as her role model. And on the other side she opens the window to the feminine world, forcing Fran to explore feelings that have been suppressed for so long. Through this newfound closeness, Fran rediscovers her own lost femininity and gradually softens up. Soon, Fran is not just Zana’s caretaker, but fills the place of the mother that the young girl longs for.
The death of Anton, brings back Zana’s father Adrian. After the funeral, Adrian wants to take Zana with him to Italy, But, it’s who Zana refuses her father’s request, and chooses to stay with Fran. Fran is happy, but deep within, Fran senses that Zana has grown up and that it is best for young girl to move on with her life. Zana made her choice. Now, is upon Fran to choose between the need to keep the child close, or give the young girl wings.
Director’s Profile
Andamion Murataj is a writer and director working between the United States and Albania, Andamion received the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay at the Berlin International Film Festival for the screenplay of the feature film “The Forgiveness of Blood”. Andamion has shot several shorts while developing his feature film
screenplays. He is a founder and director of Balkan Film Market and Albascript Workshops. He as been a member of the international jury in many festivals across Europe. Andamion holds an MFA in Film and Electronic Media from American University in Washington DC.
Company Profile
LISSUS MEDIA is an Albanian production company established in 2009. Since its inception, the company has been dedicated to presenting unvoiced but socially relevant stories from the fringes of Balkan society to a global audience.
The company is open to partnerships with authors and organizations that share its core values, with a focus on supporting impactful stories and fostering collaborative efforts to realize its unique vision through dedicated filmmakers.
LISSUS MEDIA is known for co-producing the feature film “The Forgiveness of Blood,” directed by Joshua Marston and co-written by Joshua Marston and Andamion Murataj. The company independently released the film theatrically in Albania,
achieving a record in admissions. The film was subsequently eleased
by Criterion Collection.
Ellly Films s an independent motion picture production and distribution company, based in Vienna. Elly Films is developing and producing independent productions, employer branding spots, corporate image films, and facilitating movie workshops. They work in German, English, French, Italian and Spanish.
Palomar is one of the longest-running Italian film and television production companies. Palomar, which has been a partner of the international Mediawan group since 2019, has over time established
important collaborations with the best Italian and international talents, presenting itself as a privileged interlocutor in the field of European co-productions.