Welcome to New Karabash

The incredible transformation of the Black Spot Karabash to a new Switzerland A documentary by Olga Delane Life in Karabash was as we imagine it in our worst visions of the future. From birth to death, Karabash‘s inhabitants inhaled toxic materials that attacked their mucous membranes, leading to respiratory diseases, skin diseases, and congenital malformations. The wildlife around the factory is still dead. Even the waters are blood-red – it is as if the Apocalypse has just become reality. But now everything will be different: Karabash, is now supposed to be a modern, attractive city: A city centre with a church, a huge shopping centre with a cinema, a free-of-charge fitness centre, and a big square with a walk-in fountain with light and sound is to be built within a very short time. In addition, the effects of 100 years of environmental degradation are to be reversed: Rivers will be diverted, trees planted, and turf spread. The ambitious transformation of Karabash will be documented over a period of five years. During this time, both the physical changes in the city and the associated inner changes of our protagonists will be shown. Our film is not only a universal document of the human mechanisms of repression in the face of a worldwide ecological disaster, but will also show how an authoritarian political system deals with one of the greatest challenges of our time, namely the destruction of the environment.

Stage of Production

Olga Delane has been researching and shooting in Karabash since May 2017. Doppelplusultra joined the project during the research phase in early 2019.

The research and shooting costs from May 2017 to October 2019 were financed with funds from the Robert Bosch cross-border scholarship, along with own investments and deferrals from Doppelplusultra and Olga Delane. A co-production was agreed with the Polish production company Arkana Studio.In January 2020, € 30 000 was acquired through the German-Polish Film Fund.

The project won the IDFA Forum Award for a Pitch at the East European Platform 2020 in Prague. During the development phase until July 2021, the key events in the transformation of Karabash will be shot. For example, the inauguration of the new adventure shopping centre in May 2020.

The project will be presented at various international pitching forums by the end of 2021. Funding is expected to be closed in late 2021 with the help of German, Polish and international funds. Release is planned for late 2022.

Director’s Motivation

We all have a deep longing for a healthy, ecologically perfect, peaceful world.

At the same time, we see that the world is on the brink of collapse. And what do we do? We change our eating habits, and calm our consciences with nice gestures and banal words despite the fact that we still suspect that all this is not enough - we are not getting to the root of the problems, simply concealing the impending downfall with goodwill.

But life goes on. We all want to work, shop, vacation somewhere. And the revolution is cancelled. So we continue repressing and covering up the reality.

Do we differ in any way from the inhabitants of Karabash? Everything in Karabash is conveniently pushed to the surface and excellently suitable for a film. But the mechanisms of displacement are the same everywhere. In every protagonist we find a piece of ourselves.

For me, there are not only parallels of political repression in different countries, but also between political and personal repression. Just as a political system is based on castles in the sky (or the image of the new Switzerland), people also tend to cling to illusions.

But are illusions not a good way to change reality, sometimes? What revolution was undertaken without the illusion and hope that it would make humanity happier in the long run?

Director: Olga Delane

Script: Calle Overweg, Olga Delane

Producers: Frank Müller, Doppelplusultra Filmproduktion, Germany

Dorota Roszkowska, Arkana Studio, Poland

Editor: Philipp Gromov

Production Stage: Development

Country of production: Germany, Poland

Country of shooting: Russia

Language: Russian

Budget: € 310 000

In Place: € 50 000

Funded by: Deutsch-Polnischer Filmfonds

Release: November 2022

For more infos please downloud our treatment

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