“Franco: The Slightly Corned Memories of Spain” is a new documentary commemorating the 50th anniversary of the death of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco, making its market debut at Unifance’s Landes Vaux this year.
This is one of many new politically arguing documents that Java Films is ready to enter the Rendez-vous market from a muscular fall slate.
Produced by Paris-based Galaxy Press, the film explores the legacy of Spain’s infamous leadership and how his memories are empowering the country’s new far-right movement.
Despite recent laws that praise the Spanish civil war and exempt Frenchism, the “Cala al-Sol” hymn to Franco is regularly heard at rally held by the Spanish extreme right-wing Vox party. Vox adopted Franco’s story of Spanish national identity, making dictator rehabilitation an important part of the campaign.
The film is scheduled to air in France by commissioned broadcaster Histoir Television in November, and Java Films will bring it to the international sales market for the first time with Le Havre.
Java Films will offer the latest film in its long-standing collaboration with “That Frighn,” the exclusive story behind the 2015 horrifying Bataclan attack in Paris.
On the evening of November 13th, 2015, Le Monde journalist Daniel Pessiny, who lives in the building next to the then Bataclan Concert Hall, took the first image of the widely broadcast and reposted attack.
The film, who were the people in the picture? And what happened to them 10 years later? The documentary is scheduled to premiere in France on November 13th at the LCP, which commissioned the film. This document has already been sold to the French-speaking Belgian Broadcasting Station RTBF.
“Achillerauro”
Java Films
Another new acquisition of Paris-based distributors, Achillelauro revisited the hijacking of Achillelauro off Egypt by members of the Palestinian Liberation Front. The three-day trial culminated in the murder of American Leon Klinhofer, capture of four Palestinian extremists, and the armed position between the United States and Italy against their fate.
“For the first time, this film brings together the main characters and reveals what actually happened,” says Java Films.
Directed by Simone Manetti and produced by Rome-based B&B Films, “Achille Lauro,” was co-committed by Arte and Germany’s WDR. It’s already on sale on TV3 in Spain.
The Java Films lineup also includes a portrait of the Ukrainian president of Particle Docs, a “Zelensky.” Commissioned by Arte, the film is directed by French documentary director Yves Juland, French journalist Arian Chemistry, and historian and researcher Lisa Vapne. It features unusual access to President Volodymyr Zelensky and accounts of people who have known him since his childhood, as well as photographs, film archives and witness accounts that have never been seen before. The film paints pictures of both the president and his country.
Since it premiered at a special screening at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, it has been on the TVP of CNN Portugal in Poland, Radio Canada and RTS in Switzerland. The functional documentary is also available as a two-part miniseries.
Donatien Pierda, co-director of operations, sales and acquisitions for Java Films, said, “We are delighted to join Rendez-Vous, an audiovisual market that promotes exchanges with buyers and offers opportunities to screen new socially shocking documentaries.
“Local screenings – are extremely rare, but they allow for quick feedback and are a great opportunity and accelerator for documentary life.”
