Sole Iranian Movie in Cannes’ Official Selection, ‘Terrestrial Verses,’ Sells to Key Territories for Films Boutique (EXCLUSIVE)

Elsa Keslassy
·1 min read

Alireza Khatami and Ali Asgari‘s “Terrestrial Verses,” the sole Iranian film premiering in Cannes’ Official Selection, has been acquired for distribution in key European territories.

Represented by Films Boutique, “Terrestrial Verses” has been acquired for France (ARP Selection), Benelux (September Films) and Germany/Austria (Neue Visionen). All three banners are leading distributors in their respective territories. Those deals were closed following the film’s well-received world premiere.

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“Terrestrial Verses” marks the first collaboration between Khatami and Asgari, who are both acclaimed directors.

Khatami previously wrote and directed “Oblivion Verses” which won best screenplay and the Fipresci prizes at Venice in 2017. Asgari, meanwhile, previously directed “Until Tomorrow” which premiered at Berlin last year, and presented two shorts at Cannes, “More Than Two Hours” in 2013 et “Il Silenzio” in 2016.

The film’s title is a reference to a poet by famed Iranian Poet Forugh Farrokhzad. When describing the film, Gabor Greiner, Films Boutique’s COO, said “‘Terrestrial Verses’ is one of the strongest films we have seen this year.”

Films Boutique is also presenting “The Buriti Flower,” a timely Brazilian movie co-directed by João Salaviza and Renée Nader Messora, at Cannes’ Un Certain Regard. The movie reteams Salaviza and Messora whose 2018 movie “The Dead and The Others” won the Jury Special Award at Un Certain Regard. “The Buriti Flower” also portrays the Krahô indigenous community featured in “The Dead and The Others.”

The company also has “Tiger Stripes,” the debut feature of Malaysian director Amanda Nell Eu, playing at Critics Week.

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