EXCLUSIVE: Paris-based Nour Movies has acquired French rights to Saudi director Tawfik Alzaidi’s first function Norah forward of its world premiere within the Cannes Movie Competition’s Un Sure Regard.
The movie will make historical past as the primary ever Saudi function to play in Cannes’ Official Choice simply six years after Saudi Arabia introduced the top of its 35-year cinema ban.
“Norah is a chic movie that mixes age-old traditions with a want for emancipation. This emancipation is achieved via artwork, studying and a want higher than oneself. Tawfik Akzaidi has superbly crafted a movie that’s each highly effective and delicate,” stated Nour Movies’s co-founding director Patrick Sibourd.
The deal was brokered by Sebastien Chesneau underneath his Cercamon banner which clinched the worldwide gross sales mandate for the movie final week.
Cercamon and Nour beforehand collaborated on Vietnamese drama Contained in the Yellow Cocoon Shell which premiered in Administrators’ Fortnight final 12 months and went on to win Cannes’ Digicam d’Or for finest first movie throughout all of the sections. Cercamon dealt with worldwide gross sales and Nour Movies took French rights.
“We’re thrilled to as soon as once more staff up with Nour Movies and we’re eagerly awaiting for Cannes to expertise Norah, a narrative that’s poised to deeply join with audiences,” stated Chesneau.
Set in Saudi Arabia within the Nineties when creative expression was banned, the function follows rookie trainer and clandestine artist Nader, who is shipped to a distant village for his first publish the place he connects with a younger lady, whose life has been stifled by the period of conservatism.
The Norah solid options rising Saudi star Yaqoub Alfarhan (Rashash), newcomer Maria Bahrawi and acclaimed veteran actor Abdullah Alsadhan (Tash ma Tash).
Nour Movies has a observe report of distributing rising worldwide abilities in addition to famend administrators akin to administrators akin to Alejandro Jodorowsky, Rolf de Heer, Fernando Solanas and Werner Herzog.
It upcoming distribution slate additionally features a second Un Sure Regard title Viêt and Nam by Vietnamese director Tru’o’ng Minh Quy with different latest acquisitions together with Berlinale 2024 Competitors title Gloria! and Encounters movie A Household.
It plans to launch Norah in France within the first quarter of 2025.
