Strand Releasing Nabs U.S. Rights to ‘Eisenstein In Guanajuato’ (EXCLUSIVE)

CANNES– L.A.-based Strand Releasing has snatched up all U.S. rights to Peter Greenaway’s “Eisenstein In Guanajuato” which is sold by Films Boutique and world premiered in competition at Berlin fest.

A passion project for Greenaway, the visually-appealing film chronicles the journey of Soviet filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein when he traveled to Guanajuato in Mexico to shoot “Que Viva Mexico” in 1931. While in Mexico, Grenaway fell madly in love with his guide Canedo.

“Strand Releasing is the perfect company to bring this strong, innovative and provocative film to the audience in the US and to allow younger people to discover the work of Peter Greenaway as well,” said Jean-Christophe Simon of Films Boutique.

Added Marcus Hu of Strand Releasing, “(Greenaway) is a filmmaker that we’ve long admired and a filmmaker that fits our library.”

Depicted by Variety‘s Peter Debruge as an “outrageously unconventional and deliriously profane biopic,” the film stars Elmer Back,the founding member of the Berlin-based theatre group Nya Rampen, as Sergei Eisenstein. Luis Alberti, who also comes from theater, toplines as Palomino Canedo, Eisenstein’s guide.

Films Boutique, whose international sales and marketing division is spearheaded by Louis Balsan, has already sold “Eisenstein” to France (Pyramide), Italy (Teodora), Germany (Salzgeber), Spain (Betta Pictures), Brazil (Esfera Film).

Strand plans for a release at the end of the year or in early 2016. Pic will have its North American premiere at this year’s Seattle International Film Festival.

A critically-aclaimed filmmaker, Greenaway is best known for directing “The Draughtsman’s Contract,” “The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover” amd “Prospero’s Books,” as well as numerous theater works.

Pic is produced by Bruno Felix and Femke Wolting at Submarine and San Fu Matha at Fu Works and Cristina Velasco at Paloma Negra.

“Strand is known to be a distributor with both taste and strong track record of distributing independent films. We feel the film is in the best hands to bring to American audiences,” said producer Femke Wolting.

Strand Releasing’s 2015 slate includes Fatih Akin’s “The Cut,” Eran Riklis”A Borrowed Identity” and Thomas Cailley’s “Love at First Fight.”

The deal for “Eisenstein” was negotiated between Simon of Films Boutique and Jon Gerrans of Strand Releasing.

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