Ursula Meier’s Berlin Contender ‘The Line,’ Tarik Saleh’s ‘Boy From Heaven’ Sell Widely for Memento International (EXCLUSIVE)

Memento International has closed major sales on Ursula Meier’s Berlin contender “The Line,” and “Boy from Heaven” by Tarik Saleh, the Swedish-Egyptian helmer of “The Nile Hilton Incident.”

A religious and political thriller, “Boy From Heaven” is set in Cairo at a Koranic school following the collapse of a grand imam which marks the start of a ruthless battle for influence.

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The movie is headlined by Tawfeek Barhom and Fares Fares, who previously starred in “The Nile Hilton Incident.” Saleh’s Stockholm-based outfit Atmo is producing the movie with Memento.

Memento International has sold the film to Benelux (Cineart), Spain (La Aventura), Italy (Movies Inspired), Greece (Cinobo), Hungary (Vertigo) and Middle East (Falcon). Other territories in negotiation. Memento Distribution will release in France.

The company has also sold “The Line,” Ursula Meier’s drama which is in main competition at the Berlin Film Festival, to a raft of territories, including Germany (Piffl Medien), Austria (Panda), ex-Yugoslavia (MCF Megacom Film) and Sweden (Triart).

Other territories are in negotiation. The movie will be released in Switzerland by Filmcoopi, in France by Diaphana and in Benelux by Cineart.

“The Line” has received a warm critical welcome at the Berlinale where it world premiered in competition. The mother-daughter drama stars Stéphanie Blanchoud and Valeria Bruni Tedeschi. Variety’s review described the movie as a “volatile yet sensitive portrait of a woman ordered to keep her distance from her family.”

“We’re really happy about the market response! There is still an appetite from distributors to acquire great auteur-driven films,” said Memento International’s Alexandre Moreau. “Working with important talents such as Ursula Meier and Tarik Saleh makes us believe in cinema more than ever,” added the exec.

Memento International’s EFM lineup also includes “Tropic of Violence” by Manuel Schapira and “The Night of the 12th” by Dominik Moll which is in post-production.

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