EXCLUSIVE: Bendita Film Sales has boarded Ecuadoran writer-director Ana Cristina Barragán‘s drama The Ivy (Hiedra) ahead of its world premiere in Venice’s Orizzonti Competition.
The drama tells the story of Azucena and Julio, two individuals from vastly different social backgrounds who are connected by a shared experience of trauma.
Together, they set out on a journey beyond the confines of a society that has never truly included them. With fearlessness and intimacy, the film explores the complexities of disordered, unresolved desire and intimate, often wordless relationships.
Simone Bucio (The Untamed) co-stars opposite first-time actor Francis Eddú Llumiquinga.
“Ana Cristina Barragán has crafted a film that disarms you with its intimacy and lingers with images you can’t shake. At once tender and unsettling, it stays under your skin,” said Bendita Film Sales CEO Luis Renart.
“We are excited to share it with audiences who embrace cinema that dares to explore uncharted emotions.”
The Spanish boutique sales company’s current slate also includes Venice Giornate degli Autori selection Vanilla by Mayra Hermosillo and TIFF title The Condor Daughter by Álvaro Olmos Torrico.
The Ivy is Quito-born director Barragán’s third film.
Her 2016 debut feature Alba premiered at the Rotterdam International Film Festival, where it received an award, and then earned an honorable Mention at the San Sebastián Film Festival.
It went on to win more than over 35 international awards and was Ecuador’s official submission to the Academy Awards.
Her second feature Octopus Skin (La Piel Pulpo) premiered at San Sebastián in 2022 and toured a raft of festivals including Thessaloniki, Guadalajara and Munich.
It received six Colibrí Awards from the Ecuadorian Film Academy and was part of the 2024 Platino Awards.
Barragán has directed several short films, including Ave (TIFF 2023) and Domingo Violeta (Locarno, 2010). She is currently developing her fourth feature, Amapola, a series titled La Costra y la Miel, her first documentary, and various projects involving analog photography and writing.
The Ivy is produced by Botón Films (Ecuador), BHD Films (Mexico), Ciné-Sud Promotion (France) and Guspira Films (Spain).
It is Supported by Ministry of Culture and Heritage, ICCA; Secretariat of Culture, Municipality of Quito; Ibermedia Program; EFICINE; CNC, Aide aux Cinémas du Monde; Institut Français, ICEC; Cinéma en Construction, Cinélatino.
While at the project stage, the film won the Special Ciné+ Prize and the CCAS Prize at Cinélatino Toulouse Films in Progress 2025.
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