Toronto-Bound Nicaraguan Film ‘Daughter of Rage’ Boarded by Best Friend Forever (EXCLUSIVE)
Brussels-based company Best Friend Forever has acquired Laura Baumeister’s feature debut “Daughter of Rage” ahead of its world premiere at Toronto and San Sebastian film festivals.
Baumeister previously directed the shorts “Isabel im Winter” which played at Cannes Critics’ Week in 2014 and “Ombligo De Agua” which screened in Rotterdam and Clermont-Ferrand in 2018.
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The Spanish-language film follows Maria, an 11-year-old girl who lives with her mother Lilibeth at the edge of a massive waste-disposal site in Nicaragua. Their future depends on selling a litter of purebred puppies to a local thug. After the deal falls through, Maria is dropped off by her mother at a recycling center in the city and realizes her mother won’t be coming back for her. Feeling lost, bewildered and angry, Maria meets Tadeo, an imaginative new friend who is determined to help her to reunite with her mother.
“We are thrilled to be working with such a young and talented crew, as well as veteran co-producers,” said Martin Gondre and Charles Bin at Best Friend Forever. “Daughter of Rage” delivers a “strong perspective on an ecological crises while telling an empowering story for women,” said the pair, who described the film as reminiscent to “Oliver Twist” and “Beasts of the Southern Wild.”
“Daughter of Rage” stars Ara Alejandra Medal, Virginia Sevilla, Carlos Gutierrez, Noe Hernandez and Diana Sedano. The project won prizes at Torino Filmlab, San Sebastian coproduction Forum and San Sebastian WIP.
“Daughter of Rage” is produced by Rossana Baumeister and Bruna Haddad (“Dos Estaciones”) at Felipa Films in Nicaragua and Martha Orozco for Marth Films in México. Co-producers are Halal, Heimatfilm, Promenades Films, Cardon Pictures, Dag Hoel Filmproduksjon and Nephilim Producciones.
Best Friend Forever’s slate also includes the Venice Orizzonti competitor “To The North,” the Spanish romantic comedy “Ramona,” Alê Abreu’s animated “Perlimps,” and Bertrand Bonello’s “Coma” which is set for NYIFF, as well as Anca Damian’s animated English speaking “The Island” which recently played at Annecy. BFF launched in Cannes 2019 and is a sister company of Paris based Indie Sales.
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