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The Witch of Grich: Secret of the Bloody Bridge

By Marija Jurić Zagorka

Jadran Film

Matchmaking Literature and Film 2018

ORIGINAL TITLE

Grička vještica Tajna krvavog mosta

english titlE

The Witch of Grich: Secret of the Bloody Bridge

 

 

 

WRITER

Marija Jurić Zagorka

Marija Jurić Zagorka

Marija Jurić Zagorka

WRITERS BIO

Marija Jurić, pen-name Zagorka (March 2, 1873 – November 30, 1957 was a Croatian journalist and writer. She was the first female journalist and among the most read writers in Croatia.

LOGLINE of the book

The first of 7 novels of The Grič Witch series. Murders of noble men which were all found under the Bloody Bridge bring turmoil to the townsfolk.

synopsis of the book / STORY

Zagreb, second half of the 18th century. A set of mysterious serial murders bring turmoil to the noble folk, but not just because of the murder men, but because of a letter pinned to every one of the dead men saying that he was on of the nine and that others shall follow. Each body is found under the Bloody Bridge that connects Grič and Kaptol. The story revolves around Count Juraj Meško who is set on unmasking Baron Makar for the murder of his wife, and a poor servant girl Stanka whom her mistress Baroness Lehotska dresses in the manner of a boy and presents to the society as her young nephew: Lieutenant Stanko. Meško soon grows fond of the little lieutenant and asks for his friendship and help, which Stanka accepts. The girl falls in love with the Count, risking her employment and head by the Baroness. She keeps on assisting the Count who does not recognize or return her love due to his conviction that his little friend is a boy.

WRITERs statement

“Jest! Istina je! Pišem za publiku, za široke slojeve - jer sam dio njihov i ništa drugo. A tko je ta publika? I tko su ti široki slojevi kojima sam pisala i kojima pišem? To su oni, koji nose ideale - nose zastave, koji se za njih dadu zatvarati, za njih strijeljati! To su vrlo, vrlo uzvišeni slojevi i njima služiti, njima smjeti i moći pisati, vrlo je velika čast i golema milost.“

pUBLISHER company profile

Jadran Film is the biggest studio and film production service company in the entire region of former Yugoslavia, situated in Zagreb, Croatia, and in 2016 we are celebrating our 70th anniversary. Jadran film has a rich history of film making with numerous coproduction’s of famous films such as Sophie’s Choice, Fiddler on the roof, The winds of war, and others.

pUBLISHERS bio

Jadran Film

Jadran Film

Jadran Film is the biggest studio and film production service company in the entire region of former Yugoslavia, situated in Zagreb, Croatia, and in 2016 we are celebrating our 70th anniversary. Jadran film is the owner of rights to works of Marija Jurić Zagorka.

MAIN AWARDS / FESTIVALS OF WRITER

Marija Jurić Zagorka is the most read author in Croatian history.

PAST MAIN PUBLICATIONS OF WRITER

Books

Grička vještica – ciklus od 7 romana (Tajna Krvavog mosta, Kontesa Nera, Malleus Maleficarum, Suparnica Marije Terezije I, Suparnica Marije Terezije II, Dvorska kamarila, Buntovnik na prijestolju)
Kneginja iz Petrinjske ulice, (1910.), prvi hrvatski kriminalistički roman

Kći Lotrščaka (1921.-1922.) Gordana (1934.-1935.) Kamen na cesti (1937.) Kraljica Hrvatâ (1937.-1939.)

Plays

Kalista i Doroteja, napisala s 14 godina Filip Košenski
Evica Gupčeva
Romani

Plameni inkvizitori Republikanci
Vitez slavonske ravni Jadranka

Roblje
Mala revolucionarka
Nevina u ludnici
Pod prezimenom Jurić Vodvařka objavila Crveni ocean (1918.), socijalno- utopistički roman, temeljen na događajima Ruske "Listopadske revolucije"

MAIN BIBLIOGRAPHY & SELECTION IN MAIN FESTIVALS OF PUBLISHER

More than 10 million copies have been sold, so far, in eastern European countries. Just last year, over 700 000 copies of MJ Zagorka books were sold in Croatia

AUDIOVISUAL RIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS BY PUBLISHER

https://pro.imdb.com/company/co0023529/

Project type

Featurefilm

genre

Drama / Detective / Crime / Thriller / Novel / Investigation / Saga / Romance / Fiction

SETTING

18th century Zagreb, Croatia and Venice, Italy

languages

Croatian, Archaic Kajkavski dialect, German, French, Italian, Latin

main characters

Jurica Meško
Meško appears as a desolate young man who wastes his time drinking with nobleman in the Jesuit monastery and numerous noble palaces. Meško is an orphan, since both his parents died leaving Meško with great inheritance, thanks to which he does not have to work or do anything. Since all the nobles are concerned about the unusual murder of Count Mernaya whose corpse was stuck with a parchment saying that he was the first of nine, Meško moves into research. This is prompted by the sudden journey of Baron Macar. Meško’s dense, dark hair was always combed to the side, his dark eyes were deep and pervasive, and under a small black mustache yellow lips smiled with an irony.

Stanka
Stanka, being an orphan, lived in the house of a noblewoman who was very pious and sent Stanka every week to the friars to confess. The Guardian friar wanted her to become his mistress, which she refused, after which he locked her up in a monastery prison. She was freed by the friar Anselmo. He takes her to his lover Beata who is a superintendent of a Poor Clares monastery, who leads a double life. Beata uses Stanka and turns her into the nephew of Baroness Lehotska. The very next day, Baroness Lehotska invites Meško to her home, introducing Meško and Stanka who is in disguise as Lieutenant Stanko.

Anzelmo Giovanni
Anzelmo was a friar in the Jesuit monastery, an immoral person, calculated. He did not like the Guardian because he was in love with Anzelmo’s lover, a superintendent in a Poor Clares Monastery - Beata. One day, the Guardian lured Anzelmo into a prison cell after braving a fraud, and imprisoned him. At the time, Stanka was there as well. Anzelmo and Stanka managed to escape, after which Anzelmo had the Guardian killed. Anzelmo loved his lover, Beata, and held her like a saint. He was a very jelaous man, because of which his love towards Beata turned into obssesion which made him do horrifying things. When Meško explains to Anzelmo that Beata is not who she says she is, Anzelmo tries to kill Beata by strangling her in an act of anger.

PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL AVAILABLE

http://www.jadran-film.com/new-projects/gricka-vjestica/

FILM AND TV REFERENCES (Sample films)

https://pro.imdb.com/company/co0023529/

FIND OUT MORE

http://www.jadran-film.com/new-projects/gricka-vjestica/

TARGET AUDIENCE AGE

7-77

TARGET AUDIENCE PROFILE

Works of M.J. Zagorka are beloved to various groups of readers.

LOCATIONS IN WHICH STORY TAKES PLACE

Zagreb, Varaždin, Zagreb County, Venice Italy

AGE IN WHICH STORY TAKES PLACE

Before 1980

AVAILABLE RIGHTS

TV (Film and Series) Cinema / Internet / Theatre / Webseries / Musical

AVAILABLE RIGHTS FOR TERRITORIES

Global

represented by

Fraktura - Seid Serdarević

OTHER DOCUMENTS

Other information connected to the project at the Matchmakingforum at : office@matchmakingforum.eu