Rome-based Minerva Pictures has seized worldwide sales rights to Chilean punk rock dramedy “Matapanki,” ahead of its European premiere at the Berlinale.
The debut feature of Diego ‘Mapache’ Fuentes, who made it his graduation project in University, “Matapanki” was born “from the perspective of the adolescent punk spirit — the defiant, the maladjusted, the rebellious,” and in that sense, he notes that the extravagance of the screenplay and the actions of the characters involved “comes from my impression that the current state of politics in the world is becoming increasingly illogical and incoherent.”
“For Minerva Pictures, taking this film on board reflects the conviction that “this film portrays, in a very entertaining and unconventional way, many things that have proven to be true in the current political situation. Diego Fuentes has undeniable talent, and we hope to see more of his work in the future. We are very excited to represent this title internationally and firmly believe in the film,” said Monica Ciarli, head of international at Minerva Pictures.
Its trailer unspools below:
Shot in grainy black and white by DP Vicente Correa, “Matapanki” follows Ricardo, a hard-living punk rocker who drifts through his days between cheap drinks and raves, invariably in the company of his two closest friends. Beneath the tough exterior, though, he has a softer side: he’s the primary caregiver for his grandmother. One night at a party, he downs an odd liquor known as Matapanki and discovers it gives him extraordinary abilities—superpowers that only surface when he drinks it. Convinced he can use this gift to reshape society, Ricardo throws himself into action. But after a devastating misstep, his crusade backfires, setting off a worldwide backlash that turns everyone against him.
Produced by Cine UDD, its cast is led by Ramón Gálvez as Ricardo, Diego Bravo (Mella), Antonia McCarthy (Claudia), Rosa Peñaloza (Grandma) and Rodrigo Lisboa, who plays the U.S. president.
“Matapanki” world premiered at the most recent edition of FIC Valdivia, one of Chile’s more prominent film festivals, where it won the awards for Best Chilean Film and Best Youth Feature Film. It also screened at the Slamdance Film Festival in the U.S. The dramedy features music by local punk bands, Peruvian cumbia and an anime-inspired fusion.
Describing itself as a boutique distributor of mostly elevated genre films, Minerva Pictures has been a regular at the EFM for decades. Its library of nearly 2,500 titles includes some Italian gems that marked an era.
“Makatani” will have its premiere on Feb. 17 at the Berlinale’s Generation 14+ sidebar.