EXCLUSIVE: Cercamon has acquired international sales rights for Saudi director Tawfik Alzaidi’s first feature Norah ahead of its world premiere in the Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard.
Norah will make history in May as the first ever Saudi feature to play in Cannes’ Official Selection. The achievement comes six years after Saudi Arabia announced the end its 35-year cinema ban and is a sign of the bubbling cinema scene that has sprung up since.
Set in Saudi Arabia in the 1990s when artistic expression was banned, the feature follows rookie teacher and clandestine artist Nader, who is sent to a remote village for his first post where he connects with a young woman, whose life has been stifled by the era of conservatism.
She ignites the creativity inside him and inspires him to paint again. At great risk, they develop a delicate connection and a quiet bond. Nader enlightens Norah on the wider world outside of her tiny community and she realises she must leave, to find a place where she can be free to express her artistic self.
“We are thrilled to represent Tawfik Alzaidi’s Norah for international sales and help bring it to the global market. This landmark film, which encapsulates the spirit of Saudi Arabia in the 1990s through its poignant narrative of artistic and personal awakening, represents a significant moment for Saudi cinema on the global stage,” said Cercamon CEO Sebastian Chesneau.
“Norah is a bold statement about the power of art and expression. We believe its universal themes of struggle, creativity, and resilience will resonate deeply with audiences worldwide.”
Cercamon is handling sales for all territories apart for MENA, where rights were acquired by Dubai-based distribution and production house Front Row Filmed Entertainment late last year.
Chesneau’s company which is celebrating its 10th anniversary, handles up to eight features a year.
Recent sales titles include Vietnamese drama Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell, which premiered in Directors’ Fortnight last year and went on to win the Camera d’Or for best film film across the Official Selection and the parallel Cannes sections.
The sales mandate deal for Norah was brokered by Paul Chesney, CEO of Riyadh-based acquisition and distribution company TwentyOne Entertainment, the sister company of which, Red Palm Pictures, fully financed and produced the feature.
“I am really happy to welcome Cercamon on board. Throughout our distribution journey with Norah, it’s been hugely important to us that we partner with like-minded companies who share our vision for this beautiful film and the goals and values of the TwentyOne Entertainment team,” said Chesney.
The Norah cast features rising Saudi star Yaqoub Alfarhan (Rashash), newcomer Maria Bahrawi and acclaimed veteran actor Abdullah Alsadhan (Tash ma Tash).
The film’s script won a fund award from the Saudi Film Commission’s Daw Film Competition, an initiative launched by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture to support and encourage the next generation of Saudi filmmakers. Norah is the first Saudi feature film to shoot entirely in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of AlUla.
