Berlin-based global sales company M-Appeal has acquired international sales rights to Truly Naked, a lofty drama about intimacy, ahead of its world premiere in the Perspective section of the Berlinale.
The film was directed by Belgian filmmaker Muriel Dansembourg and was shot in English in the UK with a British cast.
The story follows Alec, a quiet and introverted teenager who grew up in the orbit of his father’s adult entertainment business. When his family moves from London to a quiet seaside town, Alec is looking for a fresh start. Everything changes when he meets a very independent young woman named Nina. Nina’s perspective calls into question his understanding of connection.
Director Dansembourg said, “I keep coming back to situations in my films where people want to connect, but something is preventing them from doing so. I like to put them in situations where it’s difficult to connect deeply with themselves and each other. I like to explore boundaries and how things can become taboo. I’m also interested in what’s acceptable and what’s not acceptable in our society, and why? Porn itself doesn’t interest me as a subject, but it does interest me in the context of my love of telling stories that are essentially about human connection.” I think I’ll continue to explore stories where intimacy is under pressure, where people have to fight for true connection in environments that seem to work against it. ”
M-Appeal said authenticity and care were at the heart of the production. The film featured performers from the adult industry in key roles, and the entire cast, including the young leads, were over 18 years old at the time of filming. To ensure a safe creative environment, Dansembourg made the decision at the scripting stage and hired an intimacy coordinator throughout production.
“‘True Naked’ combines a visually striking and provocative aesthetic with genuine emotional and intellectual depth,” said Maren Kroyman, CEO of M-Appeal. “It’s a deeply human approach. Told through a unique female perspective, this film feels both timely and necessary. We believe today’s audiences are increasingly drawn to films that approach complex subject matter with honesty and sophistication.” It is done in a bold and noble way. ”
As a producer, Isabella Depeweg of Isabella Films said, “Muriel had been researching this film for years. Hearing her perspective, I just wanted to be a part of it. She took great care to present it in the best way. She explained why she wanted to tell this story and how she wanted to tell it in the book. I really understood it. She had a clear vision. I was intrigued by it because she was so interesting. I also felt that it related to the themes of sexuality, intimacy, etc.”The first version of the script for True Naked that we read had many layers of depth. ”
Else Vandevorst, Producer Partner at Isabella Films, reflected: “Over the last 35 years I have had the opportunity to face many challenges, and ‘True Naked’ was no exception, but it was probably one of the biggest. For me, I always have to have one reason why I do it.”For me, this film is about intimacy, and I’ve always struggled with intimacy, and people always talk about intimacy as if there’s nothing wrong with it. ”
Co-producers are Antonino Lombardo (Primetime BVBA), Tom Darcourt (Cinema Defacto) and Christoph Blancher (Ici et Là Productions). The film will be distributed in the Netherlands by Paradiso Films and in France by Shellac.
