With the conclusion of the Berlin Film Festival, there’s been some new names outside of the expected films in competition – Terrence Malick’s Knight of Cups, Werner Herzog’s Queen of the Desert, and Wim Wenders’ Every Thing Will Be Fine – that have garnered the attention of audiences and distributors. Jafar Panahi’s Golden Bear-winning Taxi is one such example, but another film that caught the attention of festival-goers and has now picked up distribution is Sebastian Schipper’s Victoria. The film, which won Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution for its cinematographer Strurla Brandth Grovelen, has now been acquired by Adopt Films, Deadline reports.
Adopt Films is known for previously acquiring the Oscar-nominated Omar from director Hany Abu Assad, as well as last year’s Winter Sleep which went on to win the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. With Victoria, Adopt has taken the U.S. rights with plan for a release in the late summer or early fall. Victoria relays the tale of a group of friends whose wild night out ends with a bank robbery, but it’s the manner in which it was shot that has gotten people’s attention. Following in the tradition of the recent fascination in single or long-take shooting – seen in films like last year’s Birdman or 2013’s Gravity – Victoria is presented in a single 134 minute take. Within that take there are twenty locations, with scenes taking place in night clubs, and involving car chases, stick-ups, kidnappings, and more. Director Darren Aronofsky (Noah), who served as Jury President this year, was succinct in his praise of the experience in stating, “This film rocked my world.”
Tim Grady and Jeff Lipsky, who co-founded Adopt Films in 2011, had more to say regarding the unique cinematic experience of Victoria:
“This buy was a real coup for Adopt. Victoria has the energy of Run Lola Run and La Femme Nikita, and shares in common with those earlier titles a strong, smart, beautiful, galvanizing female protagonist. With this ground-breaking film, Schipper has mastered the full potential of digital filmmaking. Movies this good and this visually exciting don’t come along every day.”
Victoria stars Spanish actress Laia Costa, along with German actors Frederick Lau, Franz Rogowski, Burak Yigit, and Max Mauff.
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