M-Appeal Strikes Deals for ‘The Book of Delights,’ ‘The Night of the Beast’ Ahead of Ventana Sur Market (EXCLUSIVE)
M-Appeal has closed deals for two of its Ventana Sur titles: Marcela Lordy’s “The Book of Delights” to Pigeon Co. in Taiwan and “The Night of the Beast” from Mauricio Leiva Cock to HBO in Eastern Europe.
“The Book of Delights” is an Argentina-Brazil co-production between Cinematográfica Marcela and bigBonsai which had already sold in the U.S. and Japan before the Taiwan announcement was made. M-Appeal will be looking to secure deals in more territories during Ventana Sur.
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Adapted from Clarice Lispector’s Brazilian novel “Uma Aprendizagem ou Livro dos Prazeres,” “The Book of Delights” is the erotic story of Lóri, a woman on the lookout for sexual satisfaction, unwilling to compromise her own agency. An attractive young teacher by day, Lóri engages in a string of casula affairs catering to her desires and needs while purposefully avoiding emotional attachments.
Eventually, she crosses paths with renowned philosophy teacher, Ulisses, famous in the field of philosophy to a degree which has over-inflated his ego. The encounter causes Lóri to re-evaluate her own decisions and kickstarts a journey of self-discovery, realization and human contact.
“The Book of Delights” stars Simone Spoladore (“Desmundo,” “Elvis & Madonna”) as Lóri, joined by Javier Drolas (“Sidewalls”) as Ulisses. Other key cast members include Felipe Rocha (“Just Like Our Parents”), Gabriel Stauffer, Martha Nowill (“Sheep’s Clothing”) and Theo Almeida (“Novo Mundo”).
“‘The Night Of The Beast’ encapsulates Iron Maiden’s appeal, featuring some of their most famous tracks, such as ‘Aces High’ and ‘The Trooper.’ The band continues to resonate with fans as their new album ‘Senjustsu,’ their first in six years, received universal acclaim,” said M-Appeal founder Maren Kroymann.
“The Book Of Delights” “is a free adaptation of one of Brazil’s most acclaimed and influential writers, and depicts an independent woman’s sensual journey to erotic fulfillment. It is perfectly in line with M-Appeal’s interest in titles portraying relatable stories of female liberation,” she added.
Credit. M-Appeal
Produced by Fidelio Films in Colombia, “The Night of the Beast” marks the debut feature outing from director Mauricio Leiva-Cock, the emerging showrunner behind Netflix’s “Green Frontier” and Movistar’s “Capital Noise.” The film unspools as an urban road trip that follows two Bogota teenagers trying to get into the first Iron Maiden concert in Colombia, an historic event three decades in the making. Metalheads of all ages pawned their instruments and saved for months to get the tickets.
Vargas and Chuki, the film’s lead characters, cross the city in what comes across as a very loving portrait of Bogotá that embraces both its beauty and harshness. This is a sincere comedy about friendship that proposes new narratives diverging from stories the world has come to expect from Colombian cinema.
Previously, “The Book of Delights” sold to Film Movement in the U.S. and At Entertainment in Japan. “The Night of the Beast” sold to Germany’s Alamode, the distributor of specialty titles such as “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” and “Les Misérables,” earlier this year.
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