Berhane pitched 'Madame Luna' to the production company Momento after completing his education at the Dramatiska institutet. According to SVT Kultur, Berhane described wanting to show the machinery behind refugee trafficking on the Mediterranean and make a film close to his heart. However, something went wrong in the collaboration between Berhane, Momento, and director Daniel Espinosa.
In February, a preliminary investigation was initiated regarding gross fraud and document forgery against a person in the film production, though the identity of that person remains unclear. The Patent and Market Court is now set to determine who owns the copyright to 'Madame Luna', with the current status of that dispute not publicly detailed. The Swedish Film Institute believes the process around the film has been conducted correctly, without specifying what evidence supports this claim.
I wanted to show the very machinery behind how refugee trafficking works out on the Mediterranean and make a film about a subject that is close to my heart.
The film's producer denies all accusations of irregularities, which have not been fully disclosed. Both the producer and Espinosa decline interviews, with Espinosa stating in an official statement that he takes the accusations seriously but, as director, had no insight into the alleged issues.