The first draft screenplay

The first draft screenplay (in Swedish) has been sent to the lecturers and possible main roles. Following feedback from them, we will translate the script into English and send to the contacts who have expressed interest in particular when we were in Cannes and presented the movie idea.

Keywords: screenplay

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John Bauer on Facebook and in Cannes.

Since we launched Draupner Film on Facebook we have also opened a Facebook Group for this film about “John Bauer”. The Swedish Facebook name is (translated into english) "John Bauer - The Film about the Fairy tale artist". The Film though will be called "John Bauer - The Mountain King" depicting also his dream to create a play for the theater. In mid May we will present the project in Cannes.

Keywords: Cannes, Draupner Film, Facebook

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Short synopsis

John Bauer (1882-1918) the world known Swedish artist died only 36 years old and his death was up on newspaper front pages. John Bauer, portrayed myths and fairy world and his images are a cultural treasure known throughout the world.
Telling the story of this highly regarded artist is also to tell of an artistic creation affected by the struggle with and love for Esther, his wife and ”princess”.

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Synopsis: John Bauer  - The Mountain King

John Bauer, the Swedish fairy tale artist whose images of the forest trolls and creatures of nature became the world’s fabulous treasure. Despite his timid nature, he knew early what he wanted and already as 16-year-old he knocked at the Royal Academy gate. Too young, he was coming back two years later and adopted. At College he meets Esther (Fairy Tale Princess) and they become trapped by each other in a battle worthy of a relationship Strindberg drama. Esther, constantly surrounded by men and cavaliers, received a lot of attention. She loved it and needed  this kind of confirmation. While John wanted the deep forest Esther’s life was in the lounges in the city. Allthough she tried to live in the cabin in the woods where John wanted to stay alone with his ”princess”.
At age 25 John Bauer illustrates ”Among gnomes and trolls” and will be forever fabulous artist who gave soul and life to the figures of the Nordic sagas. His early idealization of woman and maturity development in relation to his wife is reflected in the images he paints. Fertility goddess Freya in Bauer’s interpretation combines the feminine ideal of a sensual and feminine beauty in nature-like design peculiar to John Bauer. John’s dream was to live out his characters on theater and creating an operatic stage which took the audience straight into his bewitching dream world. Why Royal Opera chose to use his libretto, and do ballet ”Mountain King” without giving Bauer his rightful copyright is one of the film’s exciting puzzles.
John Bauer himself could never experience the sweetness of victory when he was assigned to his work. He was only 36 years. Sea lake took his life when the passenger boat, Per Brahe sank on a stormy November night 1918. The whole world mourned the far too early departed fairy artist. Mountain King with the music of Hugo Alfvén was released 5 years after the death of John Bauer. His name was not included in the program.
John Bauer’s two brothers took to the copyright battle with the Royal Opera House to court and won. Original drawings for Mountain King has never been found. Perhaps they are in the lake after the accident. Here on the shore of the lake bottom also lies the heart of the enchanted princess Tuvstarr. Image linking John Bauer’s paintings with the most beautiful and fragile of human beings.

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Work in progress

In summer 2008 we did a first cast try out at Filmcafé.nu.
64 actors/actresses showed interest and we did an audition that brought us the potential of leading parts.
During the autumn of 2008 Malin Toverud was associated as research and co-scriptwriter together with Börje Peratt.
Today we have a treatment and are polishing the synopsis.
Thanks to the help and cooperation from John Bauer muséum in Jönköping we have a rich source and asset of material.
Our aim is a script summer 2009.

Keywords: scriptwriter, synopsis

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John Bauer - The Swedish fairytale painter

The magic and fantasy of John Bauer is extraordinary. His world of princesses, brownies, trolls and giants remains forever in the hearts of children all over the world. The life of John Bauer was also a struggle of living in and with the nature when his wife preferred the city. The relation with his wife Esther, also an artist, was close to a drama by Strindberg. Finally they decided to start all over again.

A stormy night the couple with their little child entered a boat to Stockholm. The following morning the world got the shocking news that John Bauer and his family was lost in a tragic accident. It was in all the big news. The boat foundered in Vättern. The wonderful lake that had inspired John Bauer also took his life 1918, only 36 years old.

The making of a film about John Bauer is a lifelong vision now taking place. In summer 2008 we started to cast for both John Bauer and Esther. A treatment is based on facts and help from the John Bauer muséum. A script is planned for spring 2009. And we will start shooting in summer 2010. Producer Börje Peratt

Keywords: film, history, john bauer

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