Totem Films Boards Cannes Directors’ Fortnight Titles ‘A Song Sung Blue,’ ‘Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Paris-based sales outfit Totem Films has acquired “A Song Sung Blue,” by Chinese director Zihan Geng, and “Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry,” from Georgian filmmaker Elene Naveriani. Both films will premiere in the Directors’ Fortnight section of the Cannes Film Festival.
“A Song Sung Blue” is the feature debut of the Beijing-born Geng. The coming-of-age story follows 15-year-old Xian, who’s left in the care of her estranged father, a struggling photographer, after her mother is compelled to travel to Africa for work. Over the course of a restless summer, Xian befriends 18-year-old Mingmei, the daughter of his father’s assistant-turned-girlfriend, and soon finds herself looking up to the older girl.
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Driven by the ignorance and impulse of youth, their friendship will leave an unforgettable mark on the young girl’s life, a journey that “we follow to retrieve the memories of that distant part of our own youth,” according to Geng.
“A Song Sung Blue” is written by Liu Yuning and produced by Jane Zheng, whose credits include Golden Globe winner “The Farewell” and the Sundance Special Jury Prize winner “Dead Pigs.” The film is co-produced by Taiwan- and France-based Justine O., whose credits include Cannes Un Certain regard selection “Streetwise.” Chinese actress Liang Jing of The Seventh Art Pictures served as executive producer.
“Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry” is the third feature from Naveriani, whose debut “I Am Truly a Drop of Sun on Earth” premiered at Rotterdam. Her sophomore effort, “Wet Sand,” won a best actor nod after its premiere in Locarno.
Based on the novel by Georgian author and feminist activist Tamta Melashvili, Naveriani’s latest tells the story of a single woman in her late 40s stuck in a small village who has chosen to stay unmarried, making her the source of gossip among the other villagers. After discovering love for the first time, she must decide if she’ll pursue the traditional route of coupledom or continue her life of independence, unsure which path will lead her to happiness.
“Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry” is written by Naveriani and Nikoloz Mdivani. Pic is produced by Thomas Reichlin and Britta Rindelaub of Geneva-based Alva Film, whose credits include Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner “Hive,” and Ketie Danelia of Takes Film, who produced Levan Akin’s Cannes Directors’ Fortnight player “And Then We Danced.” Akin’s award-winning festival favorite was Totem’s first acquisition.
“We are extremely lucky to be joined by Bérénice and Laure from Totem Films, who are uniquely positioned with their experience to give Elene’s third feature the best possible exposure,” Reichlin and Danelia said in a statement.
Totem Films added: “We’re thrilled to have Zihan and Elene joining our tribe. Both films have a strong visual identity and resonate with everyone’s quest for freedom and emancipation.”
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