'La Mula' Finished by Sébastien Grousset | The Irish Film & Television Network

Speaking on behalf of Gheko Films, Relabel Comunicación’s Anabel Mateo tells us that Sébastien Grousset was brought in to helm the four days of shooting required to finish production on the set of the Irish co-production. Sébastien has been responsible for the advertising campaigns of many high-profile companies including Seat, Volkswagen, Mercededs, Telefonica and Fanta.

The Spanish language film is based on the novel by Juan Eslava Galan of the same name which centres around a soldier who tries to protect a mule during the Spanish civil war. It is currently in its last stages of post production. Anabel further explained how the film’s editing was orchestrated, stating: “The film has been edited by Teresa Font who started working under Radford’s direction until he left and was then supervised by Gheko.”

In response to the news, Irish co-producer at Subotica Films, Tristan Orpen Lynch (producer, Song for a Raggy Boy), tells IFTN: “This is an unfortunate situation which can only be explained by the Spanish co-producers’ genuine lack of experience of International co-production. Michael Radford and myself along with the UKFC and IFB are waiting for Gheko to sign the standard co-production documents and then Michael will shoot the last week of the film and post-production will move to Ireland as originally planned." The film was originally set to post in Dublin’s Windmill Lane.

’La Mula’ has been in the works for three years and the film’s shoot, which started on August 31st 2009 experienced problems when director and co-producer Michael Radford ceased production citing the failure of lead co-producers, Spain’s Gheko Films’ to sign co-production agreements as the grounds for his actions.

The film was granted funding of €500,000 from the Irish Film Board who are reportedly making a further $61,450 available for Radford to complete the ‘La Mula’ shoot. A spokesperson from the IFB was unavailable to comment on the news. Financing of £1.09 million is also promised from the UK Film Council but in order to release public funds certain production agreements had to be signed by the production companies involved including Subotica, Gheko and Michael Radford’s own production company Workhorse Entertainment - something which Gheko Films failed to do despite several deadlines being set.

The final deadline that Gheko Films received was Friday, 30 October 2009, but since the outstanding agreements were not signed Mr. Radford felt it necessary to delay finishing the shoot, which led him to leave the set in early November. At the time Gheko Films' Producer Bruce St.Clair told IFTN that Radford "has no authority to stop the production. It is also true that the agreements that the co-producers wanted Gheko to sign were unreasonable." St. Clair added the particulars of the dispute were confidential but their “main and only goal is to finish the film with Michael.”

"I am absolutely committed to finishing 'La Mula'. Why would I abandon a film after two-and-a-half years work?" Radford told Daily Variety this week. "But I must be allowed to finish it in a way which respects my moral and intellectual rights."

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