“Putin,” Polish director Patryk Vega’s re-imagining of the life of the Russian leader, has become a hot-selling title for German distributor and sales company Kinostar.
Using CGI and AI technology, the pic portrays Vladimir Putin as both as a ruthless gangster and a frightened old man.
It’s a depiction that is attracting a great deal of attention from distributors on both sides of the Atlantic as well as in Asia. “Putin” has sold to TriCoast for the U.S. and Canada, where it’s set to hit theaters Sept. 27.
Kinostar is releasing the film this fall in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, the U.K. and Ireland. Take 1 has acquired the film for Denmark, Sweden and Norway, while 77 is releasing it Poland and Film UA in Ukraine.
Continental Film took “Putin” for the Czech Republic and Slovakia, with Özen Film releasing it in Turkey. In Asia, Noori Pictures bought it for South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. A Really Happy Film is handling Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau.
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The director has also unveiled the pic’s new trailer:
The $14 million film marks the first international production for Vega, one of Poland’s most successful filmmakers.
“Putin” traces the leader’s life from childhood to his election as president of Russia and covers a number of momentous events during his time in office, from the war in in Chechnya and the terrorist attacks that took place in Russia in the early 2000s to the current war in Ukraine.
“During filming, the international scope of Putin’s impact became undeniably clear,” said Vega, who also goes by the name Besaleel.
“Whether speaking with distributors in countries like India and Brazil, who are electrified by the prospect of creating a currency to counter the dollar, or in South Korea, which finds the film especially poignant due to its tensions with North Korea, the response is the same. Even in Africa, people connect deeply with the film amid fears of famine due to grain embargoes.”
Stressing that “Putin’s narrative is a global one,” Vega said “Putin” was “not just a film — it’s a response to a global quest to comprehend the motives and actions of one of the most enigmatic figures in contemporary politics. Our mission with this production is to equip viewers with the knowledge to reduce the pervasive fear and uncertainty that define our times.”
Vega will be in Cannes this week to promote the film along with the Kinostar team.