Camera Obscura: The Walerian Borowczyk Collection

[EddieLarkin]

1) £1 minimum
2) Card details are required when you pledge, no money will be taken until Jan 11th, when the Kickstarter ends. Unsure about the security mechanisms, but I imagine they're the standard stuff you'd find at any other place that requires your card information
3) Yes, it'll be available as a normal retail release. The privileges are that you help guarantee Goto will be in HD (it'll be in SD if the Kickstarter fails), and you're probably getting it a bit cheaper than it will be available in stores (expect at least a £100 RRP). The pledge amount is not deducted from the box, though you'll get a free box if you pledge £60 or more. If the venture makes more than £20,000, the additional cash will be used to make the box set even better. Profits from the retail release will go to Arrow. Remember, you're supporting the restoration of one film from the box set, not the release of the box set itself
4) The item will be released even if the project fails, but Goto will be in SD. No money is taken unless the project is a success, so there will be no issues of refunds or anything like that.

[AidanKing]

I've just pledged the amount for the box set and believe I'm the 200th person to pledge this amount. I had been dithering for a while as I'm not sure I would necessarily have bought the set if it hadn't been for the opportunity to help with the restoration, but I'm sure I will like Blanche and some of the shorts, in particular, The Games of Angels, even if it turns out I'm not so keen on everything else. I do like the idea of rehabilitating an unfairly maligned director very much, though.

With regard to contributors to the booklet, although I imagine plans for this are far advanced, I wonder if Derek Malcolm could be persuaded: he also seems to feel Borowczyk has been misrepresented and chose Blanche as one of his favourite films in the century of film series in The Guardian.

I bet Catherine Breillat is a fan too, with Blanche, in particular, sounding very similar in style and tone to films like Bluebeard, but I imagine getting her involved would be a very long shot.

I also think that, if the issue of Sight and Sound that's going to feature Borowczyk is the one due out next week and the article mentions the project to restore Goto, there may well be a surge of interest making it highly likely that the target will be met.

In any event, good luck with the project.

[fatboyslim142]

I'm the 202nd person who's pledged the amount for the box set.

[AidanKing]

If the appeal is successful, and it looks as if it's going to be, I wonder if Arrow might consider a similar approach with regard to other directors. I'd love to see a set of films by the Tavianis, who, if not maligned, are certainly neglected compared to their reputation in the eighties, even with the Golden Bear for Caesar Must Die taken into account, and Arrow has released Fiorile on DVD in the past. I imagine the rights and materials issues may be more complex, however.

[MichaelB]

I also think that, if the issue of Sight and Sound that's going to feature Borowczyk is the one due out next week and the article mentions the project to restore Goto, there may well be a surge of interest making it highly likely that the target will be met.

My understanding is that it will be a very short but illustrated piece in the opening 'Rushes' section in the next issue (i.e. the one out next week), with a much more substantial Borowczyk feature to appear nearer the release date.

[MichaelB]

My understanding is that it will be a very short but illustrated piece in the opening 'Rushes' section in the next issue (i.e. the one out next week), with a much more substantial Borowczyk feature to appear nearer the release date.

...and that's exactly how it turned out.

In the meantime, the ongoing Boro's Dictionary project has reached the letter C.

[AidanKing]

It looks as if the dictionary is going to build into an excellent work of criticism in its own right: it's certainly whetting my appetite for the eventual appearance of the set.

Hopefully, pledges will be boosted by the mention in Sight and Sound. This project certainly deserves to be a success as one of the most innovative ways of launching a set of films since the advent of home video in any format.

[MichaelB]

It looks as if the dictionary is going to build into an excellent work of criticism in its own right: it's certainly whetting my appetite for the eventual appearance of the set.

Thanks for that - this is very much the intention. The entire 26-week series has already been planned, although there've been a few last-minute tweaks - this week's entry was originally under E for Electro-Acoustic Music, but Bernard Parmegiani's death saw it relabelled C for Composer so that we could include a timely tribute when the obituaries were still appearing. Handily, this now means that E can stand for Erotic, which is my next entry. (Daniel Bird wrote A, C and the upcoming D).

Hopefully, pledges will be boosted by the mention in Sight and Sound. This project certainly deserves to be a success as one of the most innovative ways of launching a set of films since the advent of home video in any format.

Well, we're now just £2,950 short of the target with a full 42 days to go (in other words, the campaign hasn't even been running a third of its allotted time, and we've already had more than 85% of the restoration costs pledged). Although the Sidekicker site reckons that there's a 5% probability that we won't manage it, I'm pretty confident now - not least because the new Sight & Sound hasn't hit newsagents yet: it's only print and digital subscribers who'll have it so far.

[vsski]

A bit late to the party, but this was the easiest 60 quid I ever spend on a disc purchase. Projects like this absolutely need to be supported - and I'm not a huge fan of Borowczyk, although what I have seen (mostly some of his animation work) has stuck with me over the years. Let's hope this sets the stage for many more projects like this to come whether from Arrow or someone else.

[kekid]

1) £1 minimum
2) Card details are required when you pledge, no money will be taken until Jan 11th, when the Kickstarter ends. Unsure about the security mechanisms, but I imagine they're the standard stuff you'd find at any other place that requires your card information
3) Yes, it'll be available as a normal retail release. The privileges are that you help guarantee Goto will be in HD (it'll be in SD if the Kickstarter fails), and you're probably getting it a bit cheaper than it will be available in stores (expect at least a £100 RRP). The pledge amount is not deducted from the box, though you'll get a free box if you pledge £60 or more. If the venture makes more than £20,000, the additional cash will be used to make the box set even better. Profits from the retail release will go to Arrow. Remember, you're supporting the restoration of one film from the box set, not the release of the box set itself
4) The item will be released even if the project fails, but Goto will be in SD. No money is taken unless the project is a success, so there will be no issues of refunds or anything like that.

Thank you for the detailed information. I am in.

[EddieLarkin]

In preparation for this release, I figured I'd best scrub up on the discs already available that are in a similar vein to Borowczyk's work. So that's the Brothers Quay Short Films, Institute Benjamenta, Jan Svankmajer's Complete Short Films, and his first feature, Alice. Between MovieMail and Amazon you can pick up all 4 titles for under £36. Was there anything else released in the last few years Michael that I've missed? Did you work on anything similar for the BFI?

[GaryC]

I'm the 202nd person who's pledged the amount for the box set.

And I put some pub quiz winnings towards being the 214th.

[MichaelB]

Less than £2,000 to go! Woohoo!

Put it like this: we haven't formally arranged delivery of the materials yet, but James White hasn't made any holiday plans for the second half of January.

[Emak-Bakia]

WOOOHOOO! \:D/ I'm just hoping there's no sex scandal or something similar at Arrow that causes backers to start dropping out. Michael, if you've got any skeletons in your closet, you better bury them DEEP! Down the homestretch, the opposition's going to come at you with everything they've got!

[jsteffe]

I'm just hoping there's no sex scandal or something similar at Arrow that causes backers to start dropping out.

But surely an unfortunate petting zoo incident or videotaped spanking episode would only burnish the credentials of those working on the box set?

[MichaelB]

But surely an unfortunate petting zoo incident or videotaped spanking episode would only burnish the credentials of those working on the box set?

Yes, on this particular project it's hard to imagine that causing any problems. Both the producers converting to a fundamentalist religious faith (and a different one apiece, just to liven things up) would be more of an issue, but I have to say that it's not very likely.

[swo17]

When we launched our Kickstarter campaign to raise funds to restore Walerian Borowczyk’s 1968 masterpiece Goto, Island of Love (Goto, l’île d’amour), we had no idea what to expect.

Would people go “who?” or “what?” or “well, I’ve got the old DVD and it looks fine to me”? Would they smother us with encouraging messages while the fundraising total remained stubbornly stuck in triple figures until the final hours of the campaign, when they’d mockingly crawl over the £1,000 mark? Or would we get the 300+ backers that we’ve had so far, but with no-one pledging more than £20?

We simply didn’t know.

But in fact, the campaign has been a success beyond our wildest dreams. Just three weeks after launch and five weeks from completion, we have already raised over 90% of the funds.

So thank you all for your support - and not just the finance but also the enthusiasm. Borowczyk hasn’t been discussed this extensively in years, and since a major aim of the project is to rehabilitate the reputation of one of European cinema’s most original talents, this has been particularly gratifying. If people are this excited now, imagine what it will be like when the films are finally released!

But in addition to thanking you, we have some potentially very good news. We have just been informed that the Cinémathêque Française has recently discovered a fine-grain positive 35mm print of Goto. This hasn’t been examined yet, but if it’s in good physical condition and if it contains those all-important colour shots, then it might prove to be an ideal source on which to base our restoration.

As you’ll know already, the original negative of Goto was accidentally destroyed decades ago, and so part of our task is to find the best-quality surviving prints - and French archives are the most likely sources, not just because of the film’s nationality but because their prints are less likely to have unwanted and unremovable subtitles. (The final Blu-ray and DVD versions will of course have English subtitles, but they’ll be electronically generated and optional.)

So our fingers are very tightly crossed.

That’s it for concrete news, but we thought we’d also take this opportunity to stress that no matter how much the Kickstarter campaign raises, every penny will find its way into the final project. Those of you who pledged £60 or more will receive a minimum of five features and fourteen shorts, but extra funds might allow us to resurrect plans for additional films and extras that we reluctantly dropped at the early planning stages.

We’ve also launched a 26-week blog entitled Boro’s Dictionary, which each week will feature a heavily illustrated guide to an aspect of Borowczyk’s work, along with sneak previews of some of the extensive extras that we have planned for the project. Thus far, there are entries on Animation, Beast, Composers and Daumier, with next week’s entry (inevitably, Erotic) currently being drafted. It’s available at http://borowczykcollection.blogspot.co.uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Kauno]

I pledged as well. Looks like the campaign is a real success.

[rwaits]

Those of you who pledged £60 or more will receive a minimum of five features and fourteen shorts, but extra funds might allow us to resurrect plans for additional films and extras that we reluctantly dropped at the early planning stages.

This is what I've been wondering about. Michael, are you able to divulge any details on this? If not specific titles, how far above the 20K would Arrow need to go to fill this box out further? I'm prepared to break the bank.

[Gregory]

^^^ rwaits's question is a good one, and if Arrow want to increase their chances of getting funding well above the base goal, it's a good idea to have specific improvements listed as the funding increases. In one wildly successful project from last year, which achieved 29 times the funding of its base goal, the author "unlocked" plans for enhancements and extras at $5,000 funding increments, and then at $25,000 increments. (See the section midway down the page under an illustration of Hamlet with skull.) That kind of strategy motivates people to pledge more funds toward a project even after it reaches its initial goal.

[Ozu Teapot]

I've been kind of holding my tongue on this because I wanted to be sure I'd be able to comfortably afford to pay anything I'd pledged when the time came before I did pledge, but suffice to say the time has come and I just signed up to Kickstarter and did it!

The only Borowczyk I've actually seen is Behind Convent Walls, but I'm excited to explore Arrow's box set!

[swo17]

^^^ rwaits's question is a good one, and if Arrow want to increase their chances of getting funding well above the base goal, it's a good idea to have specific improvements listed as the funding increases. In one wildly successful project from last year, which achieved 29 times the funding of its base goal, the author "unlocked" plans for enhancements and extras at $5,000 funding increments, and then at $25,000 increments. (See the section midway down the page under an illustration of Hamlet with skull.) That kind of strategy motivates people to pledge more funds toward a project even after it reaches its initial goal.

MichaelB has already mentioned here how it's more difficult to take this approach when the rights to additional titles/materials have to be negotiated with third parties.

[MichaelB]

^^^ rwaits's question is a good one, and if Arrow want to increase their chances of getting funding well above the base goal, it's a good idea to have specific improvements listed as the funding increases. In one wildly successful project from last year, which achieved 29 times the funding of its base goal, the author "unlocked" plans for enhancements and extras at $5,000 funding increments, and then at $25,000 increments. (See the section midway down the page under an illustration of Hamlet with skull.) That kind of strategy motivates people to pledge more funds toward a project even after it reaches its initial goal.

MichaelB has already mentioned here how it's more difficult to take this approach when the rights to additional titles/materials have to be negotiated with third parties.

Absolutely. The problem is that unless we know how much money we have to play with, we won't know which titles we can realistically pursue, and we can't confirm that we can include these titles without a firm agreement with the relevant rightsholder, who will presumably be none too impressed if we turn round and say "sorry, we didn't raise enough money". Because while we have a good working relationship with Ligia Borowczyk and Argos Films (who own the vast majority of Borowczyk's back catalogue), we're already releasing all the stuff that they own, and we have no personal connection at all with any other rightsholder.

The bottom line is that this campaign is to fund the restoration of Goto, by offering the box set at a considerably lower price than the eventual RRP. You're effectively pre-ordering a set that's guaranteed to contain Borowczyk's first five features (The Theatre of Mr & Mrs Kabal to The Beast inclusive, all in HD), and pretty much every important short (most in HD) that he made between 1959 (Les Astronautes) and 1984 (Scherzo Infernal) - fourteen are officially promised. Everything else - and I very much hope that there will be something else - will be a bonus over and above what you thought you were paying for.

[matrixschmatrix]

Do you have any idea of what the RRP is going to wind up being on this?

[swo17]

RRP uncertain at this point but it's highly unlikely it will be less than £99.99.