Kornél Mundruczó’s ‘The Revolution According to Kamo,’ About Joseph Stalin’s Origin Story,  Boarded by MK2 Films (EXCLUSIVE)

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At the Cannes Film Festival, MK2 Films, with six films competing, is set to debut sales for “The Revolution According to Kamo,” the upcoming movie by Kornél Mundruczó, who directed “Pieces of a Woman.

The movie is written by Paweł Pawlikovski, who won an Oscar for “Ida” and “Cold War,” along with Ben Hopkins (“The Nine Lives of Tomas Katz,” “Limonov: The Ballad of Eddie”) and Kata Weber (“Pieces of a Woman”). Originally conceived by Pawlikovski, the script has attracted French distributor Le Pacte and Arte ahead of Cannes.

This upcoming film is being written by the talented Paweł Pawlikovski, who’s famous for “Ida” and “Cold War.” He’s also teamed up with Ben Hopkins (“The Nine Lives of Tomas Katz,” “Limonov: The Ballad of Eddie”) and Kata Weber (“Pieces of a Woman”). It’s an idea that Pawlikovski came up with, and now, ahead of Cannes, we have French distributor Le Pacte and Arte on board too.

The novel ‘The Revolution as Seen by Kamo’ unfolds during the fall of the Russian Empire, focusing on the bond between Simon Arshaki Ter-Petrosyan, later recognized as Bolshevik revolutionary Kamo, and his childhood companion Soso, who would eventually rise to power as Stalin.”

Or, more colloquially:

“‘The Revolution According to Kamo’ takes place during the Russian Empire’s downfall, centering on the relationship between Simon Arshaki Ter-Petrosyan (future revolutionary Kamo) and his friend Soso, who grew up to become Stalin.

In a world on the brink of collapse, two youths forge an unbreakable friendship that will shape the future. As they grow older, their innocent game of rebellion transforms into a deadly reality. Soso, cunning, captivating, and merciless, ultimately morphs into Joseph Stalin, while Kamo, his steadfast companion and right-hand man, tragically becomes Stalin’s disposable asset.

Fionnuala Jamison, the managing director of mk2 Films, is delighted about collaborating with Kornél Mundruczó on ‘The Revolution According to Kamo’ and working with Paweł Pawlikowski again. The partnership between them and Kornél’s unique directing style infuses this story with sharp insight and powerful emotion, making it a timely and thought-provoking piece. It can be described as a gangster film, a tale of tyranny’s origins, and ultimately, a darkly humorous warning.

As a movie enthusiast, I’m thrilled to share that the film I’m involved with is being produced by Mike Goodridge from Good Chaos, who’s also behind Ed Berger’s upcoming “The Ballad of a Small Player.” Joining us are Ilya Stewart from Hype Studios (Kirill Serebrennikov’s “The Disappearance of Josef Mengele”), along with Balthazar de Ganay, the BAFTA-nominated producer of “Santosh,” and our very own Pawlikowski. Additionally, we have Tanya Seghatchian, Proton Cinema in Hungary, MK Productions in France, Komplizen in Germany, Madants in Poland, and Takes Film in Georgia on board. The script for this project was initially developed with Film4.

Mundruczó is known for his work on “At the Sea,” a drama featuring Amy Adams, an original screenplay by Weber. Previously, he directed the first four episodes of the Apple TV+ limited series “The Crowded Room” starring Tom Holland. His most recent feature, “Pieces of a Woman,” was contended for the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 2020. Interestingly, all six of his previous films have been screened in different sections at Cannes, with “White God” winning the Un Certain Regard Prize in 2014 and “Jupiter’s Moon” competing for the Palme d’Or.

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2025-04-30 17:21