09/01/2024 - The French sales agent will be in Park City pinning its hopes on Sujo and In the Land of Brothers, which are being showcased in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition

Sujo by Astrid Rondero and Fernanda Valadez (left), and In the Land of Brothers by Raha Amirfazli and Alireza Ghasemi

The major festivals continue to smile upon French international sales agent Alpha Violet. After the 2023 Berlinale, with the competition entry Tótem [+see also:
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interview: Víctor Iriarte
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interview: Luna Carmoon
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interview: Raha Amirfazli, Alireza Gha…
film profile] by Iranian duo Raha Amirfazli and Alireza Ghasemi.

After having scooped the Special Jury Prize for Best Screenplay and the Audience Award at Sundance in 2020 with her feature debut, Identifying Features [+see also:
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Alpha Violet will also have high hopes for In the Land of Brothers, the feature debut by Iran’s Raha Amirfazli and her fellow countryman Alireza Ghasemi. The story hinges on an extended family of Aghan refugees, who begin a new life in Iran under the shadow of the US invasion, unaware of the ultimate price expected of them as outliers in this (un)welcoming environment: they are Mohammad, a young teenager and promising student; Leila, a woman isolated by geography; and Qasem, who bears the weight of his family’s sacrifice. According to Virginie Devesa, “The film represents the various facets of the sacrifices endured by a community in exile and the strength it gives them.” Production duties were handled by French outfit Furyo Films (Adrien Barrouillet, Charles Meresse and Emma Binet), Iran’s Limited Circle (the filmmakers’ own company) and Dutch firm Baldr Film (Frank Hoeve), with Cinema Tehran serving as a co-producer.

(Translated from French)