In standout results that suggests the strength of select Spanish arthouse films on the current international market, Bendita Films Sales, the Santa Cruz de Tenerife-based boutique world sales agency, has closed a formidable raft of deals to Galician auteur Lois Patiño’s multisensory journey film “Samsara.”
Winner of a Special Jury Award at Berlin’s 2023 major sidebar Encounters and the Audience Award at Mexico’s Ficunam festival, “Samsara” has just screened in main competition at the 68th Valladolid Intl. Film Festival (Oct. 21-28), running up more than a dozen international film festival selections.
Bendita Film Sales has clinched commercial release pacts in the U.K. and Ireland, with Curzon Film, scheduled for a Jan. 26 launch; with Films Sans Frontiéres in France, Mooov in Belgium and Netherlands – planned for May 15 and Feb. 15, respectively – and with Exit Media in Italy by June, among other markets.
Produced by Leire Apellaniz at San Sebastian-based Señor y Señora, “Samsara’s” Spanish theatrical release is scheduled for Dec. 15, handled by Atalante Cinema.
Bendita has also sold the film to Discovery in former Yugoslavia territories, Cinefil in Hungary, Taip Toliau in Lithuania, New Horizons in Poland (aimed for a March release), Swallow Wings in Taiwan and Belas Artes in Brazil, where it will bow Nov. 9.
The experimental film marks the most recent bet from Locarno winner Patiño (“Coast of Death”), one of the leading lights on the film production scene in Galicia, northwest Spain.
The film title refers to the Buddhist cycle of birth and reincarnation, following a soul during this cycle, from an old lady in Laos to a goat in Zanzibar.
In “Samsara,” a Buddhist teenager visits an elderly woman’s home every morning to read her The Bardo Thödol, a guide for the journey between death and the next rebirth.
On her last day, the young man whispers the book’s final passages in her ear, closes his eyes, and meditates alongside her, as she embarks on a transformative journey into what lies beyond.
“’Samsara’ is a mesmerizing cinematic experience. It takes you on an intimate, multisensory journey that is both deeply moving and empathetic,” said Bendita Films CEO Luis Renart.
“Distributing a radical film like this has been quite a challenge,” he added.
“However, we believe that this unique nature, a film like you’ve probably never seen before, is what gives it market strength and has sparked a remarkable international interest,” Renart argued.
On the other hand, Bendita works with a reduced number of titles. “This allows us to give each work meticulous attention, dedicating ample time to positioning each title and strengthening connections with distributors who appreciate the type of films we distribute,” the CEO said.
“We believe that this artisanal approach benefits the international career of titles like ‘Samsara,’ which might otherwise go somehow unnoticed in the catalog of agencies with a different profile,” he concluded.
