La Fabrica Nocturna Cinéma, Sayaka Board Fantasy Crime Thriller ‘A Whale,’ Latido Films to Sell (EXCLUSIVE)

Jamie Lang
·2 min read

French genre specialists La Fabrica Nocturna Cinéma (“The Heiresses”) and Basque indie label Sayaka Producciones (“70 Big Ones”) have joined previously announced producers Sr. & Sra. – an up-and-coming San Sebastian-based production house owned by Moreno and producer-director Leire Apellániz – on director Pablo Hernando’s (“Berserker”) genre thriller “A Whale.”

Madrid-based Latido Films has also signed on as international sales agent for the buzzy new project.

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Early announced casting includes Spanish Academy Goya-nominated actors Ingrid García-Jonsson (“Beautiful Youth,” “My Heart Goes Boom!”) and Eneko Sagardoy (“Giant,” “Errementari”), two of the most exciting and busiest rising stars in Spanish cinema.

“A Whale” follows Ingrid, a crack assassin known for her ability to get out of even the most seemingly hopeless situations. How she manages to always escape is a secret she guards closely. Utilizing a power with origins from another world, inhabited by monstrous creatures, Ingrid always escapes without a trace. However, the power extracts a toll, and each time she emerges from that dark place, she does so a bit less human than she once was.

“‘A Whale’ gives us the opportunity to work with a director who has already demonstrated his unique talent with ‘Berseker’ and a production company that is adept at allowing these original voices to grow,” Latido’s Oscar Alonso explained to Variety. “The mixture of fantasy, a leading character like none before, and a visual power to portray the port depths made this project irresistible.”

“Pablo is an alchemist, and ‘A Whale’ has its finger firmly on the pulse of what he does with his scripts and how he adapts them to the big screen, inviting us to travel the fantastic worlds he creates,” said Señor y Señora’s Leire Apellaniz. “His is a script that blends the genres of noir, science fiction and experimental cinema and he operates in a place where iSr. & Sra. is most comfortable. For this, and for our admiration of Pablo’s talent, we’re thrilled to produce this singular film.”

La Fabrica Nocturna Cinéma’s Marina Perales Marhuenda and Xavier Rocher added: “‘A Whale’ plunges us into a dark and liquid world, where the surface hides unknown mysteries. We are looking at a film which respects the rules of the genre, but is also free and daring.”

They added: “We were captivated by this mixture of thriller and fantasy and at the same time surprised by the originality of the theme and Pablo’s direction. He’s surely one of the most unique voices of the new wave of Spanish cinema and we are thrilled to be a part of this ambitious film.”

Additional support for “A Whale” is provided by Spain’s public film agency ICAA. As a project, the film also received production aid from the Basque Government and Basque public broadcaster ETB.

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