Venice Review: ‘Wolf And Dog’ Follows Two Queer Teens In The Azores

Tracking Maya Gabeira’s quest to surf one of the world’s biggest waves in Nazaré, Portugal, Stephanie Johnes’ documentary “Maya and the Wave” splits its time between standard-issue documentary about Gabeira’s rise in the community and insightful critique of how institutionalized misogyny in the surfing world has tried to diminish Gabeira’s contributions to the sport. Featuring some incredible visuals, and using Gabeira to tell her own story, it’s an entertaining and informative exploration of the professional surfing community The enormous waves in Nazaré act as both a framing device within the story and Gabeira’s white whale.

Tracking Maya Gabeira’s quest to surf one of the world’s biggest waves in Nazaré, Portugal, Stephanie Johnes’ documentary “Maya and the Wave” splits its time between standard-issue documentary about Gabeira’s rise in the community and insightful critique of how institutionalized misogyny in the surfing world has tried to diminish Gabeira’s contributions to the sport. Featuring some incredible visuals, and using Gabeira to tell her own story, it’s an entertaining and informative exploration of the professional surfing community The enormous waves in Nazaré act as both a framing device within the story and Gabeira’s white whale.

EXCLUSIVE: French director Alice Diop’s breakout feature Saint Omer has secured distribution in a raft of territories for Paris-based Wild Bunch International (WBI) following its Venice Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize win.

Idris Elba is to narrate and exec a high-end Netflix docu-series about the origins and evolutions of some of the most unique sports in the world.

EXCLUSIVE: Keshet International has secured rights to Cuba Libre, a buzzy drama about a follower of Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara that’s being billed as one of Portugal’s most ambitious television series ever. The six-part biopic, based on the life of Ana Maria Silva Pais, will form part of KI’s slate at Mipcom Cannes next month.

“The Music Man”, Broadway’s hit musical revival starring Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster is coming to an end.

FIFA+ & Others License Football Doc ‘Brazil 2002: The Real Story’

Naman Ramachandran Collective Media Group and Entourage Sports and Entertainment‘s soccer documentary feature “Brazil 2002: The Real Story,” recounting the story of the 2002 World Cup on its 20th anniversary, has sold a raft of territories worldwide. The film uses six hours of unseen archive material shot by Brazilian soccer player Juliano Belletti during the tournament, and also features interviews with Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Cafu and Gilberto Silva from the World Cup winning Brazil team; and, from the opposing teams across the tournament, David Beckham, Michael Owen, Oliver Kahn, Hasan Şaş and Marc Wilmots as well as referee Pierluigi Collina. FIFA has taken the film for its own streamer FIFA+, for territories including Asia (excluding Japan), Turkey and New Zealand. This is complemented by deals confirmed by distribution partner Abacus Media Rights including: Canal+ Group for Canal+ Foot and myCanal (France); Sky Deutschland (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg); Sky Italia (Italy, Republic of San Marino, Vatican City, Malta, Capodistria, Montecarlo and Italian speaking Switzerland); DBS Satellite Services (Israel and West Bank); Supersport Africa (for Africa); NOS Portugal (Portugal and PALOPs); Movistar Plus+ (Spain); and Stan Entertainment Pty (Australia).

“Concrete Valley” opens with a man wandering in the woods around Thorncliffe Park, one of Toronto’s first postwar high-rise neighborhoods and one of its most diverse areas. He’s Rashid (Hussam Douhna), a Syrian doctor who recently relocated to Canada with his family.

Mixed Martial Artist fighter Elias Theodorou has died after a battle with stage IV liver cancer. He was 34.

After the 2021 discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves on school grounds in British Columbia, the dark history of Canada’s residential school system and its traumatic impact on generations of Indigenous families once again became international news. Outrage and sorrow poured out from survivors across the country.

Gina Prince Bythewood’s period film The Woman King opens with an incredible action sequence with General Nanisca (Viola Davis) of The Agojie army approaching a village of men holding their women hostage. Men are getting sliced, diced and tossed across the screen by these mighty warrior women. After they arrive back in the Dahomey kingdom victorious, the story introduces Nawi (Thuso Mbedu), an unmarried young woman deemed worthless because she has no husband. She’s taken to the palace and introduced to Izogie (Lashana Lynch) and Amenza (Shiela Atim), Dahomey’s top soldiers in the King Ghezo Royal guard. Women in the army are respected, and when they pledge to service, they take an oath of celibacy and childlessness to be accepted and train.

Ed Meza @edmezavar The natural world, wildlife, the legacy of war and the beauty of culture has proven to be in big demand for Paris-based documentary distributor Terranoa. Attending this year’s Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Biarritz, the company presented a diverse lineup that ranged from history and ancient civilizations to science, wildlife, arts, culture and current affairs. Among its popular new titles is “Top of the Rocks,” produced by Haut et Court Doc with Franco-German pubcaster Arte and French channel Ushuaïa. The ambitious 4K, five-part series takes viewers around the world to examine how stones – specifically granite, limestone, sandstone, basalt and clay – have not only shaped the planet but also inspired human civilizations.

Ed Meza @edmezavar Hard-hitting documentaries centering on some of the world’s most critical geopolitical flashpoints have proved hot sellers for Java Films. The Paris and London-based distributor closed a number of deals this week at the Unifrance Rendez-Vous TV market in Biarritz for provocative works that examine life in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian city of Gaza, the causes of the Ukraine war, and rising tensions between the U.S. and China over the vital supply of semiconductors. Chiara Avesani and Matteo Delbò’s “Erasmus in Gaza” follows Riccardo, an Italian final-year medical student who wants to be a trauma surgeon and travels to war-torn Gaza on an Erasmus exchange program in order to receive battlefield training and write his thesis on explosive bullet wounds. The young medic is not prepared for the brutality of war, however.

The Queen has died at Balmoral, aged 96 today. In a statement, Buckingham Palace said: "The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and the Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow."

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent “I see a lot of rich people here!” said Jodie Turner-Smith as she took to the stage to open the Venice Film Festival AmfAR gala and auction held Wednesday evening in the Arsenale, a former shipyard complex on the edge of the city’s Grand Canal. Urging guests to be generous, Turner-Smith, who looked stunning in a yellow corset top, reminded everyone that, “It’s easy to forget that AIDS still remains one of the world’s most serious health threats.”  Though undoubtedly lower key than the event held at Cannes, AmfAR Venice had its fair share of glamour and star power with Heather Graham, Patricia Clarckson, Marisa Tomei and Rachel Brosnahan among chairs. 

Ed Meza @edmezavar Paris-based documentary distributor Lucky You is finding plenty of international buyers for its wide-ranging titles that span history, travel, wildlife and science. Part of French production group Bonne Pioche, Lucky You has seen a slew of recent sales for hit titles like “Science of Emotions,” which examines the impact emotions have not only on people’s well-being but also their entire life. Commissioned by French broadcaster Planète Plus, the doc sold across Europe and North America, including to ZDF in Germany, RAI in Italy and Curiosity Stream in the U.S. Likewise commissioned by Planète Plus, “Science & Sports” looks at the science, engineering and technology that are helping athletes maximize their performance. A Bonne Pioche title co-produced with Japan’s NHK, it likewise sold throughout Europe and beyond, including sales to the BBC in the U.K., Belgium’s RTBF and Canadian channel Ici Explora in addition to deals in China, Western Asia, Switzerland, Czech Republic and Sweden.

Former Aberdeen striker Steve Cowan reckons the Dons could have Rangers flapping if Jim Goodwin unleashes the Duk in a three-pronged attack on Saturday.