Filmax has secured international rights to “Our Father, Our President,” the latest film from celebrated Catalan filmmaker Manel Huerga (“Salvador (Puig Antich)”). The Barcelona-based sales company will host a market screening for the feature at the upcoming Spanish Screenings at the Malaga Film Festival.
With his latest political drama, Huerga delves into the rise and fall of Jordi Pujol, one of the most influential and controversial figures in contemporary Catalonia and Spain.
Starring Josep M. Pou (“The Candidate”) as Pujol and Carme Sansa (“El 47”) as his wife Marta Ferrusola, the film portrays the complex legacy of its protagonist, whose confession to tax fraud in 2014 shook Catalonia and sparked debates on the interplay between power, corruption and public image. Alongside them are a talented supporting cast, including Pere Arquillué (“Lemon and Poppy Seed Cake”), Eduardo Lloveras (“Smiley”) and Alberto San Juan (“The People Upstairs”).
Directed by Huerga from a script by Toni Soler (“Polonia”), “Our Father, Our President” explores the dramatic consequences of Pujol’s admission of a hidden family fortune in Andorra, which implicated his family in a massive corruption scandal. The film captures his transformation from a symbol of Catalan resistance under Franco’s dictatorship to the patriarch whose legacy was overshadowed by scandal and betrayal.
The movie was filmed over four weeks in Barcelona on a virtual production set that combined chroma key technology and LED screens.
“This film reflects the brutal shock experienced by Catalan society a few years ago when it was discovered that one of its most well-known politicians was immersed in a case of corruption in which his whole family was implicated,” enthused Filmax Head of International Ivan Díaz.
“More than a local story, we feel like this film is a thrilling portrayal of human contradictions. The subject matter is universal and in the best tradition of Italian political thrillers, the story will have viewers gripped right from the start, even if they’re not familiar with the real-life story on which the film is based.”
Díaz went on to discuss the film’s other virtues, explaining: “Another thing that makes this project so special is its innovative use of virtual sets, not to mention the outstanding performance by renowned theatre actor Josep Maria Pou in the role of Jordi Pujol. The film will no doubt arouse much interest from the media here in Spain, as we believe it will on the international stage.”
Filmax will handle Spanish distribution and international sales of “Our Father, Our President” after it is shown to potential buyers at this year’s Malaga Film Festival.
