U.S indie distributor Film Movement has acquired North American rights from Italian sales company True Colours to Palestinian director Ameen Nayfeh’s drama “200 Meters,” about a Palestinian construction worker who takes huge risks to cross the West Bank wall to reach his hospitalized son.
In September, “200 Meters,” which marks Nayfeh’s debut, launched from the Venice Film Festival’s Venice Days section, where it won the audience award. The pic was praised by Variety critic Jay Weissberg for “drawing out how one man’s story is a reflection of a collective experience.” “200 Meters” subsequently scooped the best actor prize at Turkey’s Antalya Golden Orange fest for protagonist Ali Suliman and other awards at the El Gouna Film Festival in Egypt.
Suliman (“Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan”) plays the Palestinian construction worker named Mustafa, who is separated from his family on the other side of the wall in the West Bank. After his son has an accident, even though he’s just 200 meters away, Mustafa runs into a red tape problem at an Israeli checkpoint and winds up traveling 200 kilometers to reach him.
Film Movement CEO Michael Rosenberg in a statement said the film “shows us a relatable, human consequence of the occupation of Palestine.” He added that “it’s an important story told in a refined, suspenseful package,” noting, “We’re thrilled to be bringing it to North American audiences.”
It’s unclear what Film Movement’s exact release plans are for “200 Meters,” but it could get a theatrical outing in New York, where cinemas are reopening on Friday.
True Colours, which is increasingly expanding its slate beyond Italy, during the Berlinale’s EFM market also sold “200 Meters” to Greek distributor Cinobo and to HBO Eastern Europe which also took Italian comedy “Three Perfect Daughters,” a remake of Spanish hit “Es por tu bien.”
In deals on other titles, True Colours during EFM also sold Moroccan first-time director Ismaël El Iraki’s edgy Casablanca-set “Zanca Contact” to HBO for Eastern Europe and to Hakka Distribution for release in Tunisia. “Zanka” pairs a faded rock star with a drug problem and a musically gifted prostitute, played by Khansa Batma, who won a Venice Horizons prize for her performance.
In other EFM deals, True Colours also sold psychological thriller “The Guest Room,” directed by Stefano Lodovichi, to AV-Jet for Taiwan, which also picked up Italian family comedy “When Mom is Away…With The Family” directed by Alessandro Genovesi. “When Mom is Away…With The Family” also went to A2 Filmes for Latin America and Estin Film for Estonia.
“Why Not You,” which is one of nearly 10 LBGTQ titles in the True Colours catalogue, went to the Filmin video-on-demand platform for Spain, while Portugal’s Outsider Pictures took rom-com “A Bookshop in Paris,” directed by Sergio Castellitto — who also stars alongside Berenice Bejo – and “Superheroes,” the latest film by Paolo Genovese (“Perfect Strangers”). Both these upcoming titles had already pre-sold by True Colours to some twenty territories.
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