27/05/2014 - CANNES 2014: Buyers were enchanted by Abderrahmane Sissako's film. Good business also for The Salt of the Earth

“It seemed like the market was a bit weak, but when it came to us, things could not have been more different. We worked hard from the beginning. Timbuktu [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (read the review) touched people’s souls but the film remained with people throughout the festival and caused bidding wars in many countries.” For Camille Neel, who oversaw international sales for French company Le Pacte (directed by Jean Labadie), the Mauritanian feature length Abderrahmane Sissako (produced by Sylvie Pialat for Les Films du Worso), a revelation in the official competition, was the bomb in a fruitful Marché du Film during the 67^th Cannes Film Festival.

Timbuktu was bought by the United States (Cohen Media Group), Canada (Axia), United Kingdom and Ireland (Artificial Eye), Germany and Austria (Arsenal), Italy (Academy Two), Spain (Golem), Portugal (Midas), Sweden (Folkets Bio), Norway (As Fidalgo), Benelux (Cinéart), Switzerland (Trigon), former Yugoslavia countries (MCF), Greece (Weird Wave), Turkey, South Africa, Mexico, Colombia and Brazil. The film will be distributed in France by Le Pacte directly.

“When you have a film everyone wants, you need to make it get the best price from the best distributor, all the while remaining faithful to the director,” Camille Neel said.

In Cannes, Le Pacte did well with documentary The Salt of the Earth [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by duo Wim Wenders - Juliano Ribeiro Salgado, which won the special prize in the Certain Regard section. The film, which was already bought in a number of markets, was sold in countries including Germany, Italy, Spain, Benelux, Poland, Russia, Britain, Ireland, Bulgaria, Romania and former Yugoslavia countries. American purchase is forthcoming.

(Translated from French)