The Open Reel boards Giornate degli Autori title ‘Soul Of The Desert’ (exclusive)

Italy’s The Open Reel has taken on international sales for Mónica Taboada-Tapia’s documentary Soul Of The Desert which premieres in Venice’s Giornate degli Autori sidebar as a special event.

Filmed in the arid landscapes of La Guajira in Colombia, it is the story of a transgender Wayúu woman in the third act of her life who knows that her time is running out and sets out to meet her siblings. None of them speak Spanish and barely survive on the fringes of Colombian society.

Soul Of The Desert is the feature film debut of Taboada-Tapia, whose short films Fidel (2012), Two-Spirit (2021) and Red Flag (2023) have been selected for film festivals such as IDFA, Outfest, BFI Flare, New Filmmakers, FICCI and Palm Springs.

The documentary is produced through Colombia’s Guerrero Films and Brazil’s Estúdio Giz.

Meanwhile, The Open Reel has sold Spanish feature A Cheap Film by Osama Chami to Optimale for France and French Speaking territories and to Here TV for North America.

A Cheap Film centres on a depressed Fede who meets Iván, an old acquaintance from his childhood, who provide each other company.

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