Charades Boards ‘The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo’ Ahead of Cannes Debut in Un Certain Regard (EXCLUSIVE)

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International sales rights for the first film by Diego Céspedes, “The Enigmatic Stare of the Flamingo,” have been obtained by Charades prior to its world debut at Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section.

This film, set in the early 1980s amidst the Chilean desert, revolves around Lidia, an 11-year-old girl, who resides with a nurturing unconventional family that finds themselves on the fringes of a hostile mining town. The community, intolerant and dusty, begins to accuse them as the source of a strange sickness spreading – rumors claim it can be transmitted by a mere glance, when one man falls for another. In this contemporary western tale, Lidia embarks on a mission for vengeance, confronting violence, dread, and prejudice. Her family serves as her sanctuary, and love, in this hostile environment, may pose the greatest risk.

Cespedes expressed, “I’m not trying to tell a heroic tale here. Instead, I aim to bring back into focus those who have been overlooked or discarded, and add a touch of humor as well.

Chilean filmmaker Céspedes, who is no stranger to the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, has made a name for himself there. He participated in the Cinefondation program and won an award with his debut short film “El verano del león eléctrico” in 2018; his second short film “The Melting Creatures” had its world premiere at Cannes’ Critics Week and was also screened at San Sebastian.

The Enigmatic Stare of the Flamingo” features Tamara Cortés, Matías Catalán, Paula Dinamarca, Claudia Cabezas, and Luis Dubó.

The movie that received the co-production award at the Torino Film Lab in 2020 is a collaboration between Quijote Films in Chile and Les Valseurs in France. It’s also backed by Weydemann Bros Films in Germany, Wrong Men in Belgium, and Irusoin in Spain, with Arte France Cinema. The film’s distribution at Cannes will be handled by Charades, while Bteam Pictures will distribute it within Spain, for “The Enigmatic Stare of the Flamingo”.

Giancarlo Nasi, the film producer from Quijote Films, stated that for more than ten years, Quijote Films has supported daring and poetic films from Latin America on a global scale. He added that Cannes Film Festival has frequently provided a welcoming environment for their narratives.

The producer stated, “The tradition of creating unique and captivating films persists with ‘The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo,’ but now with a vibrant new vitality and a delightfully unconventional spirit. This film is a complete departure from what we’ve seen before, and Diego’s voice shines brightly within it — as does his humor, which has provided numerous moments of shared laughter during production.

Justin Pechberty, a producer at Les Valseurs, stated, “At our studio, Les Valseurs, we’ve made a promise to support daring new voices, and this debut feature does just that. It’s a genre-bending film that offers a unique, queer perspective and a groundbreaking cinematic style.”

(This version maintains the original message while using simpler, more conversational language.)

Yohann Comte, one of the founders at Charades, shared that they came across Flamingo during the Torino Film Lab in 2020. From the very beginning, they were captivated by Diego Cespedes’ charm and artistic perspective.

Charades is set to appear alongside Julia Ducournau’s “Alpha,” Dominik Moll’s “Dossier 137,” and Harris Dickinson’s first directorial effort, “Urchin,” in both the main competition and Un Certain Regard sections of Cannes Film Festival.

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2025-04-10 14:47