It’s been quite a while since there has been significant discussion about a Netflix film appearing at Cannes. The reason being that Cannes’ rules claim that a film that plays in competition at the event has to have a theatrical rollout in France.
17.01.2024 - 10:33 / variety.com
Leo Barraclough International Features Editor September Film has acquired all rights for Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg for “In the Land of Brothers,” which has its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition section. The film is written and directed by Iranian filmmakers Raha Amirfazli and Alireza Ghasemi. Alpha Violet is handling world sales.
The film tells the story of three members of an extended Afghan family who start their lives over in Iran as refugees, but are unaware of the decades-long struggle ahead of them — and the ultimate price expected of them. It is a journey across landscapes, cultures and generations as felt by the three lead characters: Mohammad, a young teenager and promising student; Leila, a woman isolated by geography; and Qasem, who bears the weight of his family’s sacrifice. “’In the Land of Brothers’ is about the feeling of being ‘the other’ in a place you thought you belonged,” the directors said.
“We want the audience to rethink the false constructs of boundaries around the globe, and to imagine a world without them.” “In the Land of Brothers” stars Mohammad Hosseini as Mohammad, Hamideh Jafari as Leila, and Bashir Nikzad as Qasem. Directors Amirfazli and Ghasemi partnered with an independent theater company in Tehran that exclusively works with Afghan people to cast many non-professional Afghan actors in the key roles, some of whom are refugees themselves. The film is produced by Adrien Barrouillet of Furyo Films along with Alireza Ghasemi and Raha Amirfazli for Limited Circle, Frank Hoeve of Baldr Film, and Charles Meresse and Emma Binet, both of Furyo Films.
It’s been quite a while since there has been significant discussion about a Netflix film appearing at Cannes. The reason being that Cannes’ rules claim that a film that plays in competition at the event has to have a theatrical rollout in France.
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