18/03/2008

Discovered in Venice Days at the 2007 Venice Film Festival, where it won the Lion of the Future award for Best Debut Feature, The Zone [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (La Zona) by Rodrigo Plá arrives in France (March 26) and Italy (April 4) after coming out last November in Spain, which co-produced the film with Mexico.

"I sold my screenplay to Columbia Pictures based on the success of my short films," says the 40 year-old director who was born in Uruguay but grew up in Mexico, "but they soon withdrew and I found in Alvaro Longoria’s Morena Films a valid partner, through which I was also able to access Spanish state funds, Fidecina".

“La Zona” is a wealthy neighborhood in Mexico City, surrounded by high walls and protected by private guards, into which break in three kids from the slums. "There are many walls and social barriers in my country. There’s a wall that separates us from the United Sates, the institutions are absent and citizens defend themselves by themselves", says Plá. Yet the wall of Zone is universal and lends itself to various interpretations.

Wild Bunch has sold the film to various territories, including the US, Canada, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Greece, Israel (where the film is being released in April) and Belgium (out September 24).

In Italy it is being released thanks to the efforts of Sacher Distribuzione, run by Nanni Moretti, Roberto Cicutto and Luigi Musini, who bring to audiences those films that have greater difficulties finding platforms.

(Translated from Italian)