EXCLUSIVE: Filmax has acquired international rights to the European road movie Birds Flying East, starring Teresa Saponangelo (The Hand Of God), Luis Zahera (The Beasts), and Javier Gutierrez (The Motive).
The Spanish-based company will present first-look images from the pic this week at the Cannes Market.
Directed by actor and filmmaker Pau Durà (Formentera Lady), the pic is produced by David Ciurana of Fosca Films (Formentera Lady), José Nolla of Icónica Producciones (The Motive), and Cristina Zumárraga of Tandem Films (Rosa’s Wedding) for Birds Film and AIE, in coproduction with Romanian producers, MPM Motion Pictures Management. The project has also received support from ICAA RTVE, Prime Video, and TV3.
Billed as a “comedy-drama,” the pic tells the story of the trans-European road trip embarked on by two men who travel from Valencia, Spain, to the delta of the Danube in Romania in search of times passed. Now both over 50, the men will end up transforming what seemed to be a running-away-from-reality trip into a learning journey, on which they will help one another face their respective life crises.
Full synopsis reads: Colombo works at a 24-hour parking lot and tops up his measly wages by selling weed. Mario is a lawyer and a keen birdwatcher, but unfortunately for him, he is unable to drive due to a past accident. Mario offers to pay Colombo to drive him from Valencia to a lake in the Costa Brava (Spain), where he wants to see some cranes. When they reach the lake, the lawyer tells him that the birds have changed their migratory route and are now going to nest in the Danube delta in Constanza (Romania). Mario needs to get there, and Colombo needs the money. Neither of them is aware of the other’s story, but at that moment, a new and definitive journey starts for both of them.
The film was shot over eight weeks in locations around Catalonia, Italy, and Romania before moving to Constanza, on the shores of the Black Sea.
“Having Javier Gutiérrez and Luis Zahera as the protagonists of my third feature brings me a joy that is hard to put into words,” said Durá.
“The main focus of Birds Flying East is its characters. The plot centers around their fears, their fragility, their failures, their doubts, and their lost dreams. Having such talented actors on board has made it a real pleasure to direct this film, which is full of humanity, beauty, and tenderness. In life, comedy and drama are not mutually exclusive, and this film highlights that beautifully.”
Ivan Diaz, Head of International at Filmax, added: “We’ve been following Pau Durà’s work since he made the leap to directing. We fell in love with this project as soon as it arrived on our desks. It’s a very special story… emotional, fun, and tender. A road movie in the best sense of the word. The film boasts some absolutely outstanding performances from Javier Gutiérrez and Luis Zahera, two of the best actors currently on the Spanish scene, along with the invaluable Teresa Saponangelo. It has great potential to be selected at international festivals and to attract aficionados of the highest-quality cinema.”
