16/04/2009

Peruvian-born Dutch documentary-maker Heddy Honigmann’s latest film Oblivion premiered at the Film Forum in New York this week, ahead of its US rollout. The film is distributed by Icarus Films.

For Oblivion, Honigmann returns to Lima, the city of her birth, and weaves an intricate and delicate portrait of the poorest inhabitants of the sprawling South American metropolis. Using her tried-and-tested techniques, Honigmann again shows she has a flair for finding the unusual, dramatic and humorous in everyday life.

The US release of Oblivion coincides with the local DVD release of Forever, Honigmann’s astonishing documentary from 2006 about the Parisian Père Lachaise cemetery. Both films premiered at the San Sebastian Film Festival.

Oblivion was seen by over 10,000 people in the Netherlands, making it the biggest documentary hit of last year. It was distributed locally by Cinemien.

The film was produced by Carmen Cobos of Dutch outfit Cobos Films. Cobos will represent the Netherlands in Cannes this year as the Dutch Producer on the Move. Financial backing was provided by the Dutch Film Fund and two broadcast funds: CoBO Fonds and Stimuleringsfonds Nederlandse Culturele Omroepproducties.

German channel ZDF, Franco-German alliance Arte and Dutch broadcaster IKON co-produced. International sales are handled by Films Transit International in Montreal.