Venice Competition Title ‘Evil Does Not Exist,’ From Director of Oscar Winner ‘Drive My Car,’ Sells to France, Italy, Spain (EXCLUSIVE)

Leo Barraclough
·3 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Berlin-based sales agent M-Appeal has sold “Evil Does Not Exist,” which will world premiere in Competition at the Venice Film Festival, to France, Italy and Spain. The film is directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, whose “Drive My Car” won the Oscar for International Film, was Oscar nominated for Best Picture, and earned him Oscar nominations for Directing and Adapted Screenplay last year.

“Drive My Car” premiered in Cannes Competition in 2021, winning four prizes including Best Screenplay.

More from Variety

Hamaguchi’s “Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy,” which also premiered in 2021, won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize at the Berlinale.

“Evil Does Not Exist” has been co-acquired by Tucker and Teodora for Italian distribution. Tucker is specialized in Asian cinema and it handled “Drive My Car” and “Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy,” and achieved great theatrical successes with those. Teodora is the distributor of prestigious art house films, such as recent Palme d’Or winners “Anatomy of a Fall” and “Triangle of Sadness.”

French rights have been taken by Diaphana, whose slate includes Valerie Donzelli’s “Just the Two of Us,” Lukas Dhont’s “Close” and Aki Kaurismaki’s “Fallen Leaves.”

In Spain, the film will be released by Caramel Films, whose slate includes Francois Ozon’s “The Crime Is Mine” and Paul Schrader’s “Master Gardener.”

“Evil Does Not Exist” follows Takumi and his daughter Hana, who live in Mizubiki Village, close to Tokyo. Like generations before them, they live a modest life according to the cycles and order of nature. One day, the village inhabitants become aware of a plan to build a glamping site near Takumi’s house, offering city residents a comfortable “escape” to nature.

When two representatives of the glamping company arrive in the village to hold a meeting, it becomes clear that the project will have a negative impact on the local water supply, causing unrest. The company’s plans endanger both the ecological balance of the area, and the local people’s way of life, and its aftermath affects Takumi’s life deeply.

The film is Hamaguchi’s second collaboration with “Drive My Car” composer Eiko Ishibashi, whose music was the starting point for this film.

“I hope the audience will feel the life force of the figures that are stirring in nature and music,” the director said of the film.

“Evil Does Not Exist” is produced by Satoshi Takata at Neopa Inc. and continues the collaboration with M-Appeal following “Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy,” which sold in more than 40 territories.

The sales agent also handles eight of Hamaguchi’s earlier titles, including his graduation film “Passion,” which premiered at San Sebastian Film Festival in 2008, and “Happy Hour,” which premiered at Locarno in 2015.

“It gives me great pleasure to see that the collaboration between Ishibashi’s music and Hamaguchi has resulted in a film that is truly cinematic,” said Takata. “I am relieved and excited at the same time to be able to collaborate again with the M-Appeal team, which is always there for the filmmakers, and I am looking forward to seeing where this film will take us.”

Maren Kroymann, managing director of M-Appeal, added: “I am honored that Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Satoshi Takata are trusting us with this singular film, continuing a great collaboration that began with ‘Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy.’ ‘Evil Does Not Exist’ exemplifies Ryusuke’s nuanced and distinct cinematic language, and brings up both timely and timeless questions that we can relate to.”

M-Appeal will announce further festival selections in the coming weeks.

Best of Variety

Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.