10/02/2023 - The French sales agent will be wagering on The Cage Is Looking For A Bird in the Encounters showcase, as well as on two Sundance prize-winners and Levan Akin’s upcoming work

Unspooling within the 73rd Berlinale (running 16 – 26 February), the European Film Market is shaping up to be a dynamic one for French international sales agent Totem Films. The team led by Bérénice Vincent and Laure Parleani will notably be pinning its hopes on Malika Musaeva’s French-Russian co-production The Cage Is Looking For A Bird [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Malika Musaeva
film profile], which is set to world premiere in the Encounters competition. This first film by the filmmaker of Chechen origin living in Germany thrusts viewers into a small Chechen village where Yaha spends her days with Madina, with whom she’s very close. Both girls dream of leaving their homes after graduation and escaping to the real world, far from their village. Yaha’s older sister Heda also dreams of breaking free, but it will come at a high cost - if she decides to try for a divorce her only son will be taken away from her, such is the tradition in her culture. Will Yaha, Madina and Heda manage to break free, and, if so, at what cost?

The EFM will also see Totem Films pressing on with sales on two movies recently awarded trophies in the Sundance Film Festival: French-Moroccan production Animalia [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sofia Alaoui
film profile] by Sofia Alaoui and Slow [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Marija Kavtaradze
film profile] by Lithuania’s Marija Kavtaradze.

Four titles stand out on the post-production side: firstly, Crossing [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Levan Akin
film profile], the 4th feature film by Swedish director Levan Akin (well-received via his latest opus And Then We Danced [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Levan Akin
interview: Levan Gelbakhiani
film profile] in Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight 2019), which combines the production prowess of Sweden (French Quarter Film alongside RMV Film and SVT), Denmark (Adomeit), France (Easy Riders Films), Turkey (Bir Film) and Georgia (1991 Productions). Still under wraps, the story is said to be set in Istanbul and, according to the filmmaker, will revolve around "finding your family; not your blood relatives but those who accept you and love you unconditionally, without prejudice, for who you are."

Totem will also be pre-selling another Swedish film in post-production: The Hypnosis [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Asta Kamma August
interview: Ernst De Geer
film profile], which is the debut feature by Ernst De Geer who wrote the screenplay himself alongside Mads Stegger. Starring Herbert Nordrum and Asta Kamma August, the film homes in on André and Vera, a young pair of entrepreneurs who get the opportunity to present their women’s health app during a prestigious competition. Before making their way there, Vera tries hypnotherapy to help her stop smoking. From this moment onwards, her attitude changes and André starts behaving in an unexpected manner… The film is produced by Sweden’s Garagefilm International alongside fellow Swedish firm Film I Väst, Norway’s Mer Film and France’s Totem Atelier.

A first clip will be available for Camille Japy’s French feature film in post-production Over The Cracks [+see also:
film review
film profile], which unites Ariane Ascaride, Bérénice Bejo and Thomas Scimeca in its cast. Produced by Mandarin & Compagnie, the film follows Odile as she’s preparing to celebrate her birthday. Just as her kids and grandkids are on their way to visit her, her husband Jean unexpectedly passes away. Unable to cope with reality, she decides to hide him under the bed…

Totem’s last title in post-production, Dead Girls Dancing [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Katarina Stark
film profile] by German director Anna Roller (a production steered by kalekone film in league with Totem Atelier), sees a road trip through Italy in the company of three recent high school graduates take an unexpected turn.

Last but not least, among the finished films on the agenda, is Day of the Tiger [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Andrei Tănase
film profile] by Romania’s Andrei Tănase, a work recently screened in Rotterdam.

(Translated from French)