"Land Mine"
Andrew Cole-Bulgin’s new IP development company Tickled Pink Group has partnered with writer and director Darren Statman on the short film "Land Mine", which is also currently being developed into a feature film and novel. Set in Poland, the film takes place in the immediate aftermath following the liberation of the Nazi Death Camps of Europe in the late summer of 1945.
Based on historical facts and record, the film is inspired by the testimonial witness of the survivors who returned home to Poland, only to be met with violence and continuing prejudice. 22-year-old Samuel, the only member of his family to survive the Bergen–Belsen Concentration Camp, returns home after the horrors he has endured only to find his family’s farm inhabited by Piotr, a local labourer, now running a moonshine business.
Following the success of "The Kissing Booth" film series, Cole-Bulgin set up Tickled Pink as a new generation IP company, building brands from impactful stories and characters, both in partnership with external creatives and in-house. "Land Mine" is the first narrative short film from award-winning commercial director Statman and is the first in a series of projects currently in development between Statman and Tickled Pink Group.
Darren Statman, writer and director of Land Mine, says, “'Land Mine' is a story about the horrors and challenges faced by those returning from concentration camps. This is a time that is often forgotten or ignored in the narrative of the second world war, and what with the Russian invasion of Ukraine poses important questions about what happens to those who have had everything taken from them in the immediate aftermath of war. It’s a film that is inherently tense, yet it is balanced with heartfelt moments that explore the human capacity for kindness and cruelty. This short is rich in ideas that will be expanded upon in the novel and feature film that I’m creating with Andrew Cole Bulgin and the incredible team at Tickled Pink.”
Andrew Cole-Bulgin, producer of "Land Mine" and founder of Tickled Pink, adds, “Darren is a wonderful storyteller with a vivid eye for the cinematic. He shows so much emotion through his smart cinematography and the performances of the actors he works with. I am a firm believer in bringing great stories and characters to life whether that’s in a book, TV series, cinema screen or stage. 'Land Mine' represents one of four projects Tickled Pink has in development and clearly demonstrates our commitment to find and tell unique stories by great storytellers.”
