For Cumali Varer, founder of Lazuri Film, everything goes back to the sea.
The Turkish-born Valer, once a political prisoner and later a home-built sailor, arrived in France as an exile in the late 1980s. Split time between Paris, Istanbul and Cannes, he first changed his passion, transforming him into a life that transported him from a sailor to one of the major organizers of the Mediterranean while fishing in the Black Sea.
“I spent my life at the sea, sailing and learning about that rhythm,” says Varer. “Now I want to bring that world to the screen and tell a story that is universal, but rooted in the culture, courage and beauty of the region.”
Before establishing the Lazuli film, Baller built cultural bridges through sailing and organized international races across Spain, France, the UK, Turkey, Greece and Italy. He hone his craft making French documentaries for Turkish television and filmed Mediterranean life and sports.
At the same time, a random encounter at the Paris Embassy influenced my personal passion project. The story of a Spanish Jewish exile was intercepted by the Ottoman corsair and refuged in Istanbul in the 15th century.
“It’s a story of humanity and solidarity in an age of religious conflict and rapid upheaval,” says Varer. “It speaks to the enduring values of tolerance and cooperation. It is an urgent theme that we do today, as we are in the Mediterranean of the 15th century.”
Varer first developed the idea independently before teaming up with the famous French screenwriter and Louis Buñuel collaborator Jean-Craude Carrière. After Carriere passed away in 2021 and navigating the changing landscape after the pandemic, Varer reconsidered the project as a series and enlisted “Barbarians” creator Andreas Heckmann.
Under Heckman’s lead, the script was transformed into a more action-driven episode story, weaving the central love triangle into a dynamic television drama. It also features acclaimed director Paul Wilmshurst, known for “The Last Kingdom” and “The Day of the Jackal.”
In 2022, Varer officially launched Lazuri film to helm Korsan. He brought ITV studio veteran François Philancely as a strategic advisor, helping to navigate distributor relationships, shape marketing strategies, and build production teams, and utilized extensive networks across French audiovisual circles.
The project is now ready to sail. The advanced development and approach to pre-production involves scripts complete, major crew members boarding, and locations in Spain are scouted. Written in English, the series aims to cast the finest actors in the lead roles. As it is primarily a French production, it could potentially expand into French co-production, with large-scale filming in Granada and Cadiz, as well as potential partners already in discussion.
The six-episode series has a budget of between $24 and $25 million, with net funds coming after a rebate of between $16 million and $17 million. The pre-sale agreement with major international distributors is in the final stages, with filming planned in Spain at the end of summer 2026 and immediate pre-production is expected to begin.
Furthermore, on the horizon, Lazuli Films is developing “Ground Truth.” It is a high-stakes thriller that explores spying, AI ethics and global power struggles. As it is still developing early, the series is led by Varer’s artistic vision, but his main focus relies on “Korsan.”
“Telling this story today is about choice,” says Varer. “We can burn hatred or embrace coexistence. We live in a world filled with fear, division, and so-called conflicts of civilization. I have experienced exile and hardships, but this is not my personal story. It is not universal.
Varer also explains his approach to production based on his own experience. “It follows the same principles of organizing a regatta and creating a series,” he says. “We need the ability to connect people around passion, courage, preparation and vision. Skills learned in diplomacy, public relations, and cultural connection building can help us manage large productions. It involves incorporating skills trained in one field and applying them in another field.”
