Brussels-based company Best Friend Forever has acquired international rights of Alireza Khatami’s “The Things You Kill.” The film is in post-production.
Khatami is already known for Cannes 2023 Un Certain Regard title “Terrestrial Verses” and “Oblivion Verses,” which was awarded best screenplay in Venice Horizons competition 2017 and won the Fipresci Prize.
Le Pacte will release “The Things You Kill” in France.
In the film, Ali, a university professor, is haunted by the suspicious death of his ailing mother, and coerces his enigmatic gardener to execute a cold-blooded act of vengeance. As long-buried family secrets resurface, the police tighten their noose, and doubts begin eroding his conscience, Ali has no choice but to look into the abyss of his own soul.
The star-studded Turkish cast includes Ekin Koç (“Burning Days”), Erkan Kolçakköstendil, Hazar Ergüçlü (“The Wild Pear Tree”) and Ercan Kesal (“once Upon a Time in Anatolia”).
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Khatami said: “‘The Things You Kill’ tells the story of my generation, acutely aware of the irreversible errors our fathers made. As we navigate a new realm of existential anxieties, breaking free from the cycle of violence inherited from our forebears emerges as a critical task of our lives. It may be time for us to kill all things on the way of our coming-of-age.”
He further notes that shooting in Turkey was a meaningful reconnection with his language and heritage, as he hails from the Khamse indigenous tribe which speaks a Turkic dialect.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to handle Alireza’s new film,” said Martin Gondre and Charles Bin, co-founders of Best Friend Forever. “After his success in Venice and Cannes with his previous films, ‘The Things You Kill’ marks a significant leap forward in his artistic journey. Alireza has created a topical story that offers an unparalleled cinematic experience with a fantastic touch.”
The film is produced by Elisa Sepulveda-Ruddoff at Fulgurance (France), Cyriac Auriol at Remora Films (France), Mariusz Włodarski at Lava Films (Poland) and Alireza Khatami at Tell Tall Tale (Canada) and Michael Solomon at Band With Pictures (Canada), co-produced by Marta Gmosińska and Ekin Koç with Cenk Ünalerzen at Sineaktif (Turkey). Naomi Despres and Michèle Marshall for Desmar, along with Ercan Kesal serve as executive producers.
The project was supported by Eurimages, Polish Film Institute, Telefilm Canada, Ile-de-France Region, Arte Cofinova, World Cinema Fund Europe and Torino Feature Lab.
Best Friend Forever’s Cannes lineup is headlined by Directors’ Fortnight title “Universal Language” by Matthew Rankin, Berlinale Competition entry “Shambhala” by Min Bahadur Bham and Panorama selection “The Visitor” by Queer icon Bruce LaBruce. Recent titles include Cannes competition title and Toronto entry “Banel & Adama” by Ramata-Toulaye Sy, Venice Horizons best actor award winner and Toronto entry “City of Wind” by Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir, and Directors’ Fortnight thriller “The Other Laurens” by Claude Schmitz.
