Wild Bunch has acquired German rights to “Balandrau: Where the Fierce Wind Blew” (“Balandrau, Vent Salvatge,” original Catalan title), the Spanish survival thriller sold internationally by Filmax.
The deal is one of several closed by Filmax ahead of and around the Cannes Marché du Film. The film has also been sold to Latin America with Star Films, CIS with Nashe Kino, Australia and New Zealand with Palace Films, and the Czech Republic and Slovakia with Foxx Media Group. Encore Inflight has acquired rights for international airlines.
The sales follow the film’s theatrical release in Spain, where it drew more than 200,000 admissions. Filmax is using that local result as a market credential as it continues to present the title to buyers in Cannes.
Based on real events, “Balandrau” revisits the tragedy that struck the Catalan Pyrenees on Dec. 30, 2000, when a group of friends set out to climb Balandrau, a mountain of just under 2,500 meters, before an unforeseen blizzard unleashed what became the worst storm ever recorded in the Pyrenees. The film follows both the mountaineers caught in the storm and the rescue teams racing to save them.
“Ever since we screened the finished film in Berlin, we have been seeing a lot of interest from our clients and are very pleased with the reception it’s been getting,” said Iván Díaz, head of international at Filmax.
The film stars Álvaro Cervantes, Bruna Cusí and Marc Martínez. “Balandrau” marks the feature-length debut of Catalan filmmaker Fernando Trullols.
