Closing Night Presentation
King Nicolas III is a lonely soul who has the feeling he’s living the wrong life. Embarking on a state visit to Istanbul with a British filmmaker commissioned to shoot a documentary to polish the monarch’s dull image, the King suddenly receives dire news: Wallonia, Belgium’s southern half, has declared its independence. Nicolas must return to save his kingdom! As they depart, a solar storm strikes the earth causing communications to collapse and airspace to shut down. No phones. No planes. To make matters worse, Turkish security coldly dismisses Nicolas’ suggestion they return home by road. But the King has no intention of waiting out this storm.
The filmmaker, sniffing an opportunity of historical proportions, hatches a dubious escape plan that involves flowery dresses and singing Bulgarians. Thus begins an odyssey across the Balkans that’s loaded with wrong turns, startling encounters, and moments of fleeting joy.
“An enormously appealing mockumentary…” — Variety
Directors' Biographies
Jessica Woodworth: Jessica Woodworth received a degree in literature from Princeton University ('93) and a degree in documentary filmmaking from Stanford University ('99). While on a Fulbright scholarship in Morocco in 2000, she directed and shot the documentary The Virgin Diaries. She was the president of the international jury at Ghent Film Festival in 2011. Her film, The Fifth Season, also co-directed with Brosens, played at MSPIFF 2013.
Peter Brosens: Between 1993 and 1999, Peter Brosens directed and produced his internationally acclaimed ‘Mongolia Trilogy’ consisting of the award-winning creative documentaries City of the Steppes ('94), State of Dogs ('98) and Poets of Mongolia ('99). His film, The Fifth Season, also co-directed with Woodworth, played at MSPIFF2013.