At Cannes film festivalthe Italian company 102 Distribution sells the thriller “Light Falls”, directed by Phedon PapamichaelJames Mangold’s cinematographer”Indiana Jones and the Dial of Fate.” Papamichael, who was nominated for an Oscar for handling the cinematography of Alexander Payne’s ‘Nebraska’ and Aaron Sorkin’s ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’, talks to Variety on the set of “Light Falls”.
The film tells the story of Clara, played by Elene Makharashvili, and Ella, played by Nini Nebieridze, two young lovers whose vacation on a Greek island spirals out of control when a tragic incident leads to an encounter with a trio of illegal Albanian immigrants. The thriller establishes the young women’s relationship before moving in a darker and more violent direction.
papamichael said Variety“The film begins as an Eric Rohmer film and ends as a Tarantino film. It has a social political angle and plays like a thriller.
The size disparity between his last cinematic gig, “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Fate” and “Light Falls” is not lost on Papamichael. “I could have made a thousand films like ‘Light Falls’ with the budget of ‘Indy’. Not a hundred, a thousand. I did the math,” he says. “But it’s refreshing. A challenge. I don’t have an 800-person crew, pre-lighting six scenes at Pinewood, and I’m not scripting everything and planning everything, just kind of an entrance with an amateur cast and an actual location.
Although Papamichael made a name for himself as a sought-after cinematographer for Mangold, George Clooney and Payne, he enjoyed the stripped-down production of his own film. “I have a gaffer and a guy helping him on the truck,” he says. The action mostly takes place in an abandoned hotel, a location that required no production design. “Everything is literally as we found it, even the leaves on the ground. We brought pigeons. It was really inspiring. Just by finding this building on the scout, I realized we could make this movie in 23 days, with minimal lighting. So a very low budget approach.
“Light Falls” has already sold out in several territories, including the United States, Greece and Germany, and will likely premiere at a festival later this year. 102 Distribution owns the Italian distribution rights.
In addition to acquiring “Light Falls,” 102 Distribution is also screening Luis Mandoki’s “Presencias,” featuring Oscar nominee Yalitza Aparicio (“Roma”) and Goya Award winner Alberto Ammann (“Narcos: Mexico”) at the Film Market in Cannes.
Casting chief Tommaso Cerquiglini said Variety: “102 Distribution started as an Italian production and distribution company, mainly focused on the acquisition and production of Italian and international films, as well as the management of international rights. Recently, we have broadened our horizons by acquiring multi-territory rights for select titles and handling international sales, including multi-country releases.
Other titles include Carlos Eichelmann Kaiser’s drama “Red Shoes,” which premiered in Venice last year, and “Like a Father,” an Amazon Prime Video exclusive documentary about the life and career of iconic soccer coach Carletto Mazzone, featuring Italian soccer stars Francesco Totti. , Roberto Baggio and Andrea Pirlo, and the famous Spanish coach Pep Guardiola.