What happens when women challenge wealth’s status quo? With her award-winning script for the television series $HARE, Katja Meier tells the story of a 59-year-old woman who inherits a third of a mining empire and chooses radical transformation over tradition. After being told her protagonist was “too old” she took action, proving that women over 50 aren’t merely supporting characters – in business or on screen.
In 2023, after years of screenplays landing in drawers, my TV pilot script for $HARE won the Writers Lab UK & Europe – a prestigious competition backed by Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman and Cate Blanchett’s Dirty Films.
$HARE is a story about wealth inequality, sustainable business and women who refuse to be sidelined. It’s a series that asks: What happens when someone inherits power and decides to use it for good? What does it cost to challenge the status quo? And why are we still acting like women’s stories come with an expiration date?
The Writers Lab champions women screenwriters over 40. My industry advisor was the fabulous French star Camille Cottin (The House of Gucci, Call my Agent).
Finally, a breakthrough! Or so I thought.
They asked: Could my 50something be 20 years younger?
Then came the industry meetings. Picture a string of Swiss coffee shops (with many overpriced lattes) where film producer after film producer delivered variations of the same feedback: “Love the story, but could you make your protagonist younger? Maybe 35? Max. 39.”
The irony wasn’t lost on me. Here was a story about Lena Corbyn, age 59, a woman who inherits part of her family’s mining empire and decides to revolutionise it by turning it into an employee-owned company. And the entertainment industry wanted to erase the very life experience that made her the perfect match for the job.
Instead of compromising, I did what any reasonable person would do: I founded my own film production company the year I turned 50. Zenka Films (www.zenkafilms.com) was born on a cold December night, fuelled by equal parts determination and spirit of adventure.
We want women in lead roles
Our mission? Building a world where female-driven content is the norm, and female heroes above the age of 50 are no longer the exception (84% of roles 50+ are played by men).
Last March, our small crew got up a Swiss mountain and filmed the $HARE pilot episode independently on Europe’s highest winter campsite. Together with an incredible team led by director Delia Mayer, Director of Photography Isabelle Simmen and lead actress Victoria Trauttmansdorff, we’re running one of the most sustainable film sets in Europe – tiny crew, train travel, thrifted props, recycled costumes (okay, we did splurge on that stunning orange coat!). Because if you’re telling a story about revolutionizing business for the better, shouldn’t your production methods match your message?
We’re making TV in a new way
Behind the scenes, we’re pioneering a new way of making television. No lavish trailers, diesel generators or fancy catering trucks. Instead, we’re proving that great stories don’t need massive budgets and that you can film – and eat! – well, if you know how. Television needs heart, conviction, and, in our case, an extra pair of thermal underwear.
We’ve learned that the best creative discussions happen while stomping through snow to keep warm, and that there’s nothing quite like a minus 15°C wind chill to keep script meetings concise.
What we’ve created … and what’s next
The result? A pilot episode that we’re incredibly proud of. Think Succession meets Nomadland, all of it filmed not far from St. Moritz, in one of Switzerland’s most beautiful Alpine valleys.
Now we’re ready for the next adventure: finding our audience. We’re looking for Queenagers to join our test screening this December. We need viewers who understand that life’s biggest transformations often come when you least expect them, and that sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is refuse to play by someone else’s rules.
Where you fit in
Help us shape a TV series that truly represents women’s stories in their full complexity. Because sometimes the best way to change the system is to build your own.
You can watch the trailer of $HARE on our website (https://share-tvseries.com/) and support us with a warm cup of coffee here (https://share-tvseries.com/donate).
Want to be part of a test audience?
Send Katja an email (mail@zenkafilms.com) if you’d like to test screen $HARE’s 25-minute pilot episode. We’ll send you an exclusive link to watch it online followed by a short questionnaire.
So pack your warmest coat and join us on this Alpine adventure!
The view from up here? Absolutely worth it.
I have been following this project since its beginnings and want to see it work! Please keep going.