EXCLUSIVE: Paris-based Totem Films has signed world sales rights to Lithuanian filmmaker Marija Kavtaradze’s second feature Slow ahead of its world premiere in Sundance.
The drama will be among 12 international titles being showcased in Sundance’s World Dramatic Competition as the festival returns as a physical event for the first time since 2020 from January 19 to 29.
The romantic drama co-stars Greta Grinevičiūtė (Runner) and Kęstutis Cicėnas (The Last Czars) as a dancer and a sign language interpreter who meet and dive into a new relationship, navigating how to build their own kind of intimacy.
Slow is Kavtaradze’s second feature after Summer Survivors, following a psychologist and two young patients as they travel to a psychiatric hospital in a seaside town, which premiered internationally at Toronto’s Discovery line-up in 2018.
Marija Razgutė at M-Films (Lithuania) lead produces in a co-production with Luisa Romeo at Frida Films (Spain) and Garagefilms (Sweden).
“Marija Kavtaradze knits together a tender relationship between two complex characters, learning how to connect with one another,” said Totem co-heads Laure Parleani and Bérénice Vincent.
Totem Films is also handling sales on a second title in the World Dramatic Competition, Animalia. Previously announced under the title of Oum, the supernatural tale is the first feature of French and Moroccan director Sofia Alaoui.
Razgutė’s previous credits under the M-Films banner include Summer Survivors, Nuova Lituania, Runner and the upcoming feature The Visitor.
The latter project won the Cannes Critics’ Week Next Step prize in May and will be presented at the Les Arcs 2022 Co-production market (December 10-13) this weekend.
“Slow is a love letter to our beloved ones. The co-production with Garagefilm and Frida Films leads us to a wonderful collaboration with talents from these three countries and it’s a great pleasure to team up today with Totem films as world sales,” said Razgute.
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