BoostNL: La hija de todas las rabias

Nicaraguan producers Bruna Ahaddad and Rossana Baumeister of Tanacatana Films, and Eva Chillon of the French production outfit Pomme Hurlante Films, updated IFFR Pro on the status of their €553k-budgeted La hija de todas las rabias. The film is to be directed by Laura Baumeister, whose short film Ombligo de agua world-premieres in IFFR Voices 2019.

A recipient of Hubert Bals Fund development support, La hija de todas las rabies is both a powerful social drama and a strong mother/daughter story set in the bleakest of locations, a rubbish dump in the Nicaraguan capital Managua. Eleven-year-old Maria is full of rage because her mother abandoned her on this site, but she learns to stand up for herself and joins a gang of other abandoned children who work in exchange for food and shelter, all the time increasing the distance between her and her increasingly repentant mother.

After rolling out the project during the first stage of BoostNL (NFF for Professionals, Utrecht), the film received further funding from the Ibermedia Development Fund and earlier this month director Baumeister attended the Fundacion Carolina writing workshop to perfect her script. She is currently on the fourth draft.

"The script development session in Utrecht [given by Franz Rodenkirchen] was one of the most accurate and sensitive feedbacks from an artistic and writing point of view," commented Chillon. "He really understood the project well and his points were very just and accurate, and we are looking forward to the follow-up session in Rotterdam." Chillon further stressed her approval to BoostNL's two-part structure, "because you can work in-between [Utrecht and IFFR] and then take the most out of it."

"In Utrecht, we heard that the project was pretty solid but we also got specific production feedback and marketing feedback about how to sell, and we had really interesting meetings with the funds, such as HBF." added Ahaddad.

The main goal at IFFR is to source another European co-producer and to garner sales interest. They will be taking the project to Guadalajara in March where they hope to secure an Ibero-American co-pro partner. "Strategically Nicaragua has a timid film industry and [we hope] that an Ibero-American partner will be able to help us find and consolidate partnerships with other industry members and co-producers," Ahaddad concluded.