Erenik Beqiri
After Dark
ANNA and TOM are ready to declare their relationship to Tom's father officially. But how can they explain to him that Anna and her "family" feed on blood and cannot tolerate daylight? In the chaos of the city of Tirana, their relationship is put to the test, along with the inevitable sacrifice.
SYNOPSIS
ANNA, a youthful delivery girl in her early 20s, speeds through the lively streets of Tirana every night, her routine leading her to a rendezvous with TOM, a late 20s caretaker at a retirement home. Their hidden two-year relationship faces a crucial test when they decide to confess Anna's nature to Tom’s father: that she needs blood to survive and has to hide from sunlight. His stern refusal triggers a cascade of challenges as Anna struggles to secure the nutrition she needs while avoiding her inherent nature. Despite the escalating stakes, Tom devises a risky solution: procuring blood from an elderly resident, amplifying their troubles. Amidst Anna's declining strength and their fading connection, Tom gets caught up in his father's plans for a different future. Pushed to the brink, Anna dares Tom to make an independent choice, setting a meeting for a decisive encounter.
DIRECTOR
Erenik Beqiri
WRITERS
Erenik Beqiri
Marija Apcevska
PRODUCERS
Olivier Berlemont
Dritan Huqi
Alessandro Amato
Luigi Chimienti
PRODUCTION COMPANY
Origine films
On Film Production
dispàrte
COUNTRIES
Albania
France
Italy
Erenik Beqiri
ERENIK BEQIRI studied at the Academy of Arts, Tirana, where he graduated with a master’s degree in film directing. His last short film, THE VAN (2019), was part of the official competition in 72’s editions of the Cannes Film Festival and was Oscar shortlisted in 2021. He’s currently developing his first feature film project, AFTER DARK, which was part of Résidence du Festival de Cannes, Torino Film Lab, Meditalents and Jerusalem Film Lab.
In AFTER DARK, there won’t be fangs, crucifixes...The vampires are not immortal. They are a cursed extension of our society, unable to find where they fit in. I want to describe them as flawed, sensitive, and needs like us, evolving in a chaotic city. The story asks: can we feel the same towards each other when we are so different?
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
Olivier Berlemont
OLIVIER BERLEMONT was a collaborator of Pierre Grise (Leos Carax, Jacques Rivette, Otar Iosseliani, Jean-Marie Straub, Daniel Schmid, etc). During more than twenty years, he has, in parallel, produced about 120 short films presented at festivals such as Cannes (Official Competition, Quinzaine des Cinéastes, Semaine de la Critique), Clermont-Ferrand, Locarno, Rotterdam, Sarajevo, Sundance, among others. He was a Member of the Commission of the Procirep and Chairman of the Short Film Commission of UniFrance Films for six years.
Production company profile
ORIGINE FILMS, a production and distribution company created in 2012, claims an eclectic cinema open to the world. Today, it has produced 50 international short films and has more than 450 titles in its catalogue. On Film Production is an Albanian production company founded in 2008. The company has produced the following titles: THE ALBANIAN (2010) by Johannes Naber, screened at Moscow IFF in 2010 and awarded The Special Jury Prize and Best Actor. The latest film produced is ZANA (2019) by Antoneta Kastrati which was screened at Toronto IFF in 2020, Best Feature Film TIFF and SIRIN (2023) by Senad Sahmanovic. The company have in development and production; AFTER DARK (2023) by Erenik Beqiri, LUNA PARK (2023) by Florenc Papas and THE SEA IN THE HEAVEN (2021) by Enkelejd Luca. The company has also produced more than 15 features, ten documentary series, 4 TV series and more than 45 short films.
DISPÀRTE is an independent production company founded in Rome in 2015 by Alessandro Amato and Luigi Chimienti. We develop projects by both emerging and established authors through a careful editorial, exploring different ways to create inspiring characters and stories with an international appeal and imagined for a wide audience.
Where are we at?
TOTAL ESTIMATED BUDGET
1.562.044 EUR
FINANCES PENDING
1.306.669 EUR
FINANCES IN PLACE
255.375 EUR
Production timeline
FALL 2024
Shooting
FALL/WINTER2024/25
Post-production
MAY 2025
Release