A Great Worry.

A GREAT WORRY Based on the story written by Leszek Kołakowski, an outstanding Polish philosopher.

A GREAT WORRY | SUMMARY

A GREAT WORRY Producer TV Studio of Animation Films Ltd. Co-financed by Polish Film Institute Łódź Film Fund Format: 26:00’ 16 x 9 HD Audience: Children

A GREAT WORRY | CONCEPT

THE CONCEPT OF THE PROJECT ANIMATED TV SPECIAL PROJECT “A GREAT WORRY” One clever and bumptious Sparrow meets in the savannah a lonely and sad Rhino who wants to fly like birds. The Sparrow, using his experience, urges the Rhino to learn to fly. The attempts end with a spectacular disaster, the biggest SPLASH! in the world after the Rhino falls to a lake, and the mud floods the savannah. The disappointed Rhino cries and sighs with regret, and ashamed and discouraged Sparrow abandons his new friend. The Rhino’s sobs mean that it is always raining, so other animals run away into the savannah. Only the Sparrow who wants to make good the harm he has done suddenly discovers that the Rhinoceros has a feature that makes him unique - a wonderful horn. We watch the story as told by an old and wise Marabou to his chicks in the nest, and the biggest dream of the chicks is to take their first independent flight.

Prof. Leszek Kołakowski

A GREAT WORRY | SYNOPSIS

THE SYNOPSIS “A GREAT WORRY” In a tree nest in the savannah, an old wise Marabou wants to calm the Chicks, who are eager to take their first flight. He decides to tell them why the Rhino is sitting under the tree crying and has a compress on his backside. The Chicks imagine that he may have fallen on the ice rink or taken a fall while sliding down a railing, but the truth is completely different ... it turns out that this Rhino has a great worry because he wants very much to fly but he does not know how and is ashamed to admit it. One ubiquitous Sparrow decides to teach him to fly. At his instigation, the Rhino jumps as high as he can, but to no avail. The Sparrow lends him his wings, but they are too small.

Finally, he builds for the Rhino large wings made of linen that the wind blew in. Equipped with these wings, the Rhino jumps from a rock, and for one happy moment he rises in the air, but then falls hard into the little lake under the rock, making a huge splash! A wave of mud floods the savannah. Frightened, he digs himself out of the mire and reaches the shore, but there he is caught by two mud-splattered Monkeys who give him two huge slaps. The Marabou who is telling the story says that this should never be done! This is why the Rhino has a compress on the backside. Where is the Sparrow? He has fled in shame. The Rhino cries his eyes out, his spirit broken by the failure. The animals in the savannah are fed up with Rhino’s sobs, they block their ears, run away from him. They can no longer listen to his woes. Even the Chicks fly out of the nest on their first flight. The lonesome Rhino goes away. The animals feel guilty. The Marabou appears over them, convincing them that in the end something could be done about the sadness of the Rhino. When he is aimlessly wandering all over the savannah, he encounters the Sparrow who is still ashamed of his deed. The Rhino is very happy to have found his friend. Emboldened by the unconditional friendship of the Rhino, the Sparrow decides to convince him that not everyone has to be able to fly and he - the Rhino, has the most gorgeous horn in the world. For example, he can spear a pumpkin and even the moon with it! Nobody else has a horn like his. When the Rhino finally realises his uniqueness, he laughs for the first time, happy to have discovered who he really is.

A GREAT WORRY | STILLS

A GREAT WORRY | TREATMENT

THE TREATMENT/ STORYLINES (extensive description of the story) “A GREAT WORRY” Marabou’s net.

Savannah. In the distance, there is a rocky hill and at its foot is a lake with mangrove trees. On one of them, the Marabou's Chicks are packed tightly in the nest. They are tentatively preparing for their first flight. To calm them, the adult bird shows them a young Rhino standing nearby with a compress on his backside and tells them his story he heard during one of his journeys.

The Chicks come up with various explanations for why the Rhino is wearing a compress: ice skating, a fall from a fruit tree or a staircase railing. However, none of these guesses are correct.

Scenes from the Marabou’s memories.

Lakeside resort.

All is well at an idyllic sunny lakeside resort until the arrival of a small and likable Rhino. However, he is always sad. His tears attract rain-laden clouds. He sighs so hard that the sun loungers, umbrellas and coffee tables fall over. Other guests at the resort tell the Rhino to go away because his sobs bring rainy clouds which obscure the sun!

The Rhino sits down on a wall resignedly and almost crushes the Sparrow drying his feathers there. Outraged, the Sparrow is ready to fly away, but curiosity keeps him from leaving. The Rhino reveals to him a secret which he was ashamed to tell others. He would like to be able to fly, but he cannot, and this is why he is so sad.

Marabou’s nest.

The Chicks are astonished. What, he does not know how to fly?

But they fall silent when they look down from the nest.

More scenes from the Marabou’s memories.

Savannah.

The Sparrow does not care, but when he sees tears in the Rhino's eyes, and clouds gathering in the sky, he feels sorry for him. On a nearby plateau, he sets up flying lessons. Moving from theory to practice, the Sparrow nimbly shows off aerial acrobatics. The Rhino jumps awkwardly and dangerously.

Undiscouraged, the Sparrow presents various ways to fly.

The lack of results leads him to the conclusion that this is because the Rhino has no wings. He decides to lend him his wings, sits on his back like a rider on a horse and flapping his wings tries to carry his friend up in the air. And while the Rhino shuffles with all his might, and the Sparrow flaps his wings at an ever faster pace, they do not rise even by an inch from the ground. While running, they mow a strip of grass, creating a runway.

There are attempts to run on two legs (after all, the Sparrow has two legs, which, according to him, is a natural condition of flying). However, this also ends in a fiasco. The noisy exertions of the Rhino lure other animals who watch the attempts hoping for a rain-free vacation.

After numerous unsuccessful attempts, the Sparrow draws mysterious equations on the sand. Conclusion: his wings are too small and it is necessary to borrow bigger wings or build new ones. The Rhino goes to the airport and the Sparrow flies to the city.

A GREAT WORRY | TREATMENT

Airport - city.

Offended by the Rhino's request, the Plane refuses to lend its wings and immediately takes off. It creates a strong wind, which in a nearby town snaps a line with drying laundry. A peculiar kite flies over the city. It is seen by the Sparrow who flies after it.

Savannah.

The approaching rain-laden cloud indicates that the Rhino is returning with nothing and his despair grows even further. The wet Sparrow waits for his friend and when he returns, he comforts him, claiming that the Rhino is simply unlucky. The Rhino is happy to hear this: at last he is someone! The sun comes out from behind the cloud.

Marabou’s nest.

The Marabou breaks his tale. Intrigued, the Chicks want to know who an “unlucky” person is. Each of them wants to be “SOMEBODY”, but when they are told that it is difficult to help someone who is unlucky, they give up.

Savannah.

The Sparrow also comes to the conclusion that it is difficult to help someone who is unlucky. Nevertheless, he draws in the sand the design of great wings that conjures up the famous drawing by Leonardo da Vinci. He builds a mechanism made of branches and using the prickly pear thorns he sews the linen and sheets brought by the wind. Numerous attempts to operate the contraption and its modifications are then carried out. The Rhinoceros puts on the "wings". He looks like Batman. Before jumping from the hill, the Rhino gratefully listens to the last advice of the Sparrow.

Rock above the lake.

At the top of the rock the Rhino gathers speed, but at the last moment, he stops on the edge of the cliff. Fear of height does not allow him to realize his dream. The Sparrow makes further changes in the design which result in a self-propelling mechanism, which, thanks to the wind, raises the Rhino effortlessly into the air. Rapid gusts of wind fill the wings like sails and keep him in the air for a long while. A smile of happiness appears on the face of the terrified Rhino. The wind stops abruptly. The Rhino disappears from the frame.

Sound of the Rhino’s body falling to the ground.

Over the edge of the rock there appears a huge splash of mud, and with a delay, like thunder after lightning, a very loud sound - SPLASH! Clumps of mud in the shapes of various animals, large and small, fly into the air. Defying gravity, they fly in different directions, flooding the surrounding area with sticky mud.

Marabou’s nest.

The Chicks freeze. The Marabou assures them that this was the biggest SPLASH! in the world and continues with his story.

Savannah.

From the flying Sparrow’s perspective we see a huge crater at the bottom of the lake, with a small outline of the Rhino right in the middle.

A large wave of mud inundates the plateau and reaches the tree where the Monkeys are sitting. The mud-splattered Monkeys see the Rhino as he slowly climbs ashore. One of them grabs him by the horn and the other two give him a slap on the backside.

A GREAT WORRY | TREATMENT

Marabou’s nest.

The Chicks are dismayed. The Marabou tells them that the Monkeys did something that should never have been done!

Savannah.

The Sparrow rushes to help the Rhino, but the Monkeys move towards him. The Sparrow flees. The scared Rhino starts crying again. All Animals, even other rhinoceroses, block their ears and protecting themselves from the rain, escape from the resort.

Marabou’s nest.

A heavy rain falls on the Marabou's nest. Initially, the Marabou protects the Chicks with his wings, but the intensifying rain forces the birds to flee. The Chicks desperately jump from the nest and take off on their first flight.

Savannah.

Left completely alone, the Rhino wanders deep in the savannah, followed by the rainy clouds.

Lakeside resort.

Animals and the sun return to the resort. And although they are very happy at first, after some time they begin to miss the sobs of the Rhino. The Marabou unexpectedly appears and convinces them with a song that they should comfort the unlucky Rhino.

More and more Animals join in the song.

Savannah.

Ashamed, the Sparrow flies to the Rhino, trying to regain his friendship. He stands in his way, but the Rhino passes him indifferently. The Sparrow hears the Marabou's song and continues to cheer his friend up. He takes up the song that now says that the Rhino has something that no one else has - a wonderful horn. The Sparrow plays scenes as in the theatre, depicting how the Rhino could spear a pumpkin and even the moon with his horn. The Rhino smiles. He is proud to be who he is. The sun returns to the savannah.

A GREAT WORRY | CHARACTERS

DESCRIPTIONS OF THE CHARACTERS

MARABOU – a wise, old bird who looks after the Chicks. His figure and manner of storytelling are associated with an aged intellectual or a professor. He is good, he never raises his voice, although he is somewhat absent-minded. He brings the Chicks up in such a way that they draw conclusions themselves.

The Marabou knows that they have to fly out of the nest because that is the way of things, but he wants to delay this moment and protect them from dangers resulting from false ideas about themselves or from submitting easily to someone else's authority. The Chicks, however, set off on their first flight as a result of the fate of the Rhino, who had succumbed to the authority of the Sparrow. There is a certain paradox here. The Marabou is aware of this and his way of reaching his audience evolves, from the traditional tale to a positive rap calling for helping the Rhino.

A GREAT WORRY | CHARACTERS

DESCRIPTIONS OF THE CHARACTERS

RHINO – young, worried that he cannot fly and ashamed to admit it. The comic nature of this character is not only due to its anthropomorphism but also to the classic clash of enormous clumsiness and girth with great sensitivity, susceptibility to the suggestions of others, credulity and simplicity. The evolution of the character leads him from the lack of self-acceptance and the resulting sadness to becoming aware, thanks to the Marabou, the Sparrow and other Animals (who also undergo an evolution of their attitudes towards the Rhino) of his own worth and uniqueness. After all, no one has a horn like that of the Rhino.

A GREAT WORRY | CHARACTERS

DESCRIPTIONS OF THE CHARACTERS

SPARROW – tiny, busy, wants to help the Rhino. He turns his dream of flying into reality, which is impossible. In essence, the Sparrow, though outwardly wise, cannot go beyond the circle of his own ideas, realize the reality, and imposes solutions on the Rhino, one of which leads to a catastrophe, although luckily for the Rhino, it does not end tragically. The Sparrow flees when the Rhino falls victim to violence, i.e. when he needs the Sparrow most. The Sparrow is not evil, though. He feels ashamed for running away. The fact that the Rhino still treats him as a friend is one of the reasons for the evolution of this character, from someone who is self-confident, who may even consider himself to be brilliant, who is patronizing, who pushes the Rhino towards the wrong solutions to his problem, to someone who treats the Rhino like a partner, and who gives him reasons for accepting himself for the person he is.

A GREAT WORRY | INTENT

A NOTE OF INTENT OF THE PRODUCER Film’s title: “A Great Worry” Format: 26 min., 16 x 9 HD Producer: TV Studio Filmów Animowanych Sp. z o.o.

Animated film for children Our intention is to produce an animated film based on a simple and yet wise and funny story written by Leszek Kołakowski, an outstanding Polish philosopher, entitled „Who Would Like to Console One Unlucky Rhino?”

A combination of the children’s world of imagination with the gravitas of a philosopher means that the film can be watched by both children and adults, even those with highly refined intellectual tastes.

This dichotomy of the work, resulting from the idea behind the narration and from the inherent humour, as well as its potential encouraging deeper reflection led us to selecting this story as the literary basis of our film.

However, setting aside philosophical references, this film is, above all, a tale about: • a difficult and unusual friendship, • attempts to turn unrealistic dreams into reality, • the changing faith in our abilities, • seeking one’s own identity, • friendship and empathy, • the path to self-acceptance, • the acceptance of diversity in all its guises

But also about: • the fact that true happiness begins with realising who we are, • discovering our strengths and weaknesses, • understanding who we are, • and about drawing the joy of life from this understanding.

It is also a story about growing up which, from the point of view of the adolescents, is full of all sorts of problems related to our concept of ourselves and who we want to be in our adult life.

Although the main character of our film initially suffers one failure after another, the audience leaves deeply convinced that one should always keep searching and hoping that in the end everybody can find themselves and their place on the earth. This tale entertains and educates, stimulates sensitivity of the young viewer, invites to a discussion, encourages independent reflection.

In this context, the title “A Great Worry” is intended as a means of depicting these particular aspects of growing up, as well as a reason for questioning it thanks to the happy end.

Regardless of any philosophical context, our intention is to create a film story told to children at bed-time. For this reason, the visual side of the film is directed towards “soft and joyful” imaging. It could be compared to a “cuddly toy” from a world populated by characters made of soft fabric, entangled in a story with a deeper message.

A GREAT WORRY | PROGRESS REPORT

PRODUCTION PROGRESS REPORT • Film’s title: “A Great Worry” • Running time: 26 min.

• Picture format: 16 x 9 HD • �Film made using the puppet animation and 3D technique, intended for children • • • • • •

Film project after the development: Screenplay Artwork designs of the characters and preliminary scenography Puppets’ sculptures Storyboard Director’s concept

• Creative team: Director – Zbigniew Kotecki Screenplay: Jan Zamojski, Zbigniew Kotecki /based on Leszek Kołakowski’s tale entitled „Who Would Like to Console One Unlucky Rhino?”/ Artwork designs – Maria Balcerek Executive Producer – Ewa Sobolewska Producer, production: TV Studio Filmów Animowanych sp. z o.o.

Planned budget Producer:

190,000 € 45,286 € | 23.83%

Co-financing: Polish Film Institute Łódż Film Fund

71,001 € 16,567 €

| 37.37% | 8.72%

Investors’ contribution:

57,146 €

| 30.08%

• Planned production schedule: 2017-09-01 | 2018-12-31 The film ready for production after closing the planned budget by acquiring Investors contributing 30.08% of the financing.

A GREAT WORRY | TRANSFER OF RIGHTS

A COPY OF THE TRANSFER OF RIGHTS OPTION LETTER

TV Studio Filmów Animowanych Sp. z o.o. with its registered office in Poznań, Poland, represents that the economic copyrights to the film entitled “A Great Worry” based on Leszek Kołakowski’s tale “Who Would Like to Console One Unlucky Rhino?” have been acquired from the authors and transferred onto the producer under the following agreements: The commitment of the author of the literary prototype to grant the right of adaptation dated 2008-11-07.

License agreement for the adaptation of a literary work into an animated film with Leszek Kołakowski No TVSFA/U/2012/2008 of 2008-11-27.

Agreement with Jan Zamojski – co-author, for the writing of the screenplay, No TVSFA/U/206/2008 of 2008-11-22.

Agreement with Zbigniew Kotecki – co-author, for the writing of the screenplay, No TVSFA/U/207/2008 of 2008-11-22.

Ewa Sobolewska Producer