Anna Katchko's 'Happiness' Team Covers 'Hungry,' Defines 'Lynx'

The team behind Berlinale winner "Baqyt" ("Happiness"), which is showing at the International Film Festival of India in Goa, has a variety of projects underway.

"Hunger", from the director of "Happiness" Askar Uzabayev, deals with the impending famine in Kazakhstan. The recently completed film is produced by Anna Katchko, who is co-director of Harmony Lessons and The Black Hen with Bayan Maksatkyzy-Alagusova.

That was exactly 90 years ago, in 1932-33. All of our grandparents went through that," Katchko told Variety.

"We found that this war [Russia-Ukraine] is actually causing the same thing. It changes all ecosystems in the world. Because today we know that about 12% of all grains that are so necessary for people around the world come from this region, and the region is at war, so that grain will not come.”

“Hunger ', which is coming to the festivals in 2023, and 'Happiness' is produced by 567 Creative Studio/BM Production. "Lynx" was on the Berlin co-production market when shooting began on December th, 2022.

It was directed by Sharipa Urazbayeva, whose debut film "Mariam", also produced by Kachko, was shown in Locarno, Toronto and Busan and won first prize at Vesoul. The film follows a woman who is looking for her son after a long separation.

Another woman-oriented film by Uzabayev is in the works. Katchko trusts in the work of the director, who made a tonal change after several comedies with "Happiness" and "Hunger". There is a project following the stories of women in different countries including India, also directed by Uzabayev, with a potential A-list Bollywood actress at the helm.

"I really see great potential in him because he combines these two sides: a deep philosophical approach, but he also loves to make films that touch everyone's hearts. So I'm happy to find in him this connection between two worlds, because for me it's always been two different worlds, commercials or author films, and I hope he can combine them and make bigger stories out of them,” said Katchko.

Katchko, he will also produce a love story with Bangladeshi author Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, whose "Saturday Afternoon" he co-produced. And she is in talks for another film with her compatriot Rubaiyat Hossain ("Made in Bangladesh"). The producer had plans for some Russian projects, but these have been abandoned since the beginning of the war.

"It's really a shame that all cultural workers, all filmmakers, are being thrown into this pot of war. And everyone has to make a choice. Everyone has to make a statement because it's a really terrible war between two neighboring countries. And I personally had to make a decision. And I'm not currently making films in Russia, but I'm happy to be able to make films in Kazakhstan, Europe and South Asia,” said Katchko.

Meanwhile, "Happiness," which tackled domestic violence and won the Panorama Audience Award in Berlin, struck a chord with a sold-out screening in Goa. It is based on the personal near-death experience of Kazakh celebrity, actor and TV host Maksatkyzy-Alagusova. "People were in tears. It was packed at 11 a.m. on a Tuesday," Katchko said. "I can imagine this topic has a very, very big impact on men and women in this country."