Bolero brings Panahi’s Offside to cinema

by Camillo de Marco

28/02/2011 - While much of Italy’s cultural sector will unite in Rome to protest Jafar Panahi’s incarceration, Bolero Film has announced the April 8 release of the latest film directed by the master of Iranian neorealist cinema, Offside, winner of the Berlinale Silver Bear in 2006 and screened in solidarity at this year’s festival as well.

Offside, sold at the European Film Market by Celluloid Dreams, follows the trials and tribulations of a group of Iranian girls who want to watch the Iranian national football team, in a country where women still still cannot enter stadiums.

In Berlin, Bolero also picked up Sidewalls [trailer] from The Match Factory. Directed by Argentina’s Gustavo Taretto, the film played in the festival’s Panorama section.

Other pick-ups for Italy from Berlin include Les femmes du 6ème étage [trailer] by Philippe Le Guay, starring Fabrice Luchini and Carmen Maura, which Archibald will release by the end of the year. Sold by SND Films, the French comedy screened out of competition.

From HanWay, BIM acquired Pina [trailer], Wim Wenders’ 3D homage to the great German choreographer Pina Bausch.

Berlinale Golden Bear winner Nader And Simin, A Separation by Iranian director Asghar Farhadi will be distributed in Italy by Sacher, which bought the film from Memento Films International. Nanni Moretti’s production-distribution company also picked up Robert Guédiguian’s Les pauvres gens from the Films Distribution.

(Translated from Italian)