Films Boutique will handle international sales on Filipino master Lav Díaz’s “Essential Truths of The Lake,” one of the highest-profile titles in the just announced main International Competition at this year’s Locarno Festival.
The Berlin and Lyon-based production-sales company’s fifth collaboration with Diaz following, among others, Venice Golden Bear Winner “The Woman Who Left” and Berlin Silver Bear Winner “Lullaby To A Sorrowful Mystery,” “Essential Truths of The Lake”marks a prequel to Diaz’s ‘When The Waves Are Gone’ that premiered out of competition at Venice last year.
It reprises the character of the ethically conflicted police lieutenant Hermes Papauran, one of the best investigators of the Philippines. When asked what drives a man to search for the truth, Papauran says dejectedly that maybe he just wants to keep inflicting pain on himself.
Faced with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody murders and brazen lies, he continues his struggle to find resolution to a 15-year-old case around a volcanic ash laden landscape and an impenetrable lake. It has become a cross he can barely carry but keeps lugging anyway.
Written as well as directed by Diaz and world premiere at Locarno, “Essential Truths of The Lake” stars John Loyd,Hazel Orencio, Shaina Magdayao, Bart Guingona, and Agot Isidro.
A Philippines, France, Portugal, Singapore, Italy, Switzerland, and U.K. production, “Essential Truths of The Lake” is produced by Epic Media, Films Boutique and Rosa Filmes in co-production with Arte, Bord Cadre Films and Sovereign Films. Bianca Balbuena, Bradley Liew, Jean-Christophe Simon and Joaquim Sapinhoserve as delegate producers.
“We are very happy to continue our collaboration with Lav Diaz, Bianca Balbuena, Bradley Liew and Joaquim Sapinho on this new epic film by Lav,” said Simon, Films Boutique CEO.
“Lav is one of the greatest filmmakers of our time, always pushing the limits of the cinematic experience with a strong political message. We are very excited and looking forward to sharing the film with the Locarno Audience for what will be a special experience for sure,” he added.
The film was shot with a mix of digital and 16mm, with Diaz shooting part of it in the fire belt in villages covered with ashes right after one of the last eruption.
Films Boutique is also selling “La Morsure” (“Bitten”), the feature debut of Romain de Saint-Blanquat, which world premieres in Locarno’s Cineasti di Presente.
Starring Léonie Dahan-Lamort, Lilith Grasmug, Cyril Metzger, Maxim Rohart and Fred Blin, it is produced by Marc-Benoit Créancier at France’s Easy Tiger Films, behind “Divines” (Houda Benyamina, “Les Magnetiques” (Vincent Cardonna), and “Divertimento” (Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar).
Set in 1967 at Mardi Gras, it turns on Françoise, a 17 year-old boarder at a sm all girls catholic high school. Convinced that she has only one night left before her death, she sneaks out with her friend Delphine to attend a costume party and live this night as if it was her last.
“We fell in love with ‘La Morsure’ and the work of Romain. ‘La Morsure’ is a love letter to exploitation/genre cinema by masters Jess Franco and Dario Argento while connecting the dots with the French Nouvelle Vague that took place during the same years,” said Simon.
He added: “The film gives a powerful glimpse ofthe spirit of ’68 – right before the sexual and political revolution –through the eyes of two young girls who want to live their life today and can’t wait for tomorrow.It is an exciting debut that should seduce festivals programmers and please distributors looking for new voices and elevated genre cinema.”
On-the-rise French distribution company KMBO, whose releases sold over two million admissions in 2022, will handle theatrical distribution in France.
