French production company Srab Films will co-produce “Name and Surname,” the upcoming drama feature from Colombian director Duván Duque Vargas, produced by Evidencia Films and Continente Pictures.
In the film, 16-year-old Fer tries everything he can to escape his father and stepmother’s house, a home in crisis that compares unfavorably to those of his upper-class high school friends. Although his father promises to give the young man his share of his mother’s inheritance soon, Fer’s impatience pushes him to hustle for money at any cost. Neither his lies to friends nor the pressure he exerts on his father’s shady street loan business can hold out for long.
“After a significant amount of time exploring the shape of ‘Name and Surname’ in more intimate settings, it’s exciting to have Ventana Sur as the film’s first international market, a major step in our journey to make this film a reality and get it out to the world,” Duque tells Variety.
“On one hand, it somehow makes sense, as I believe there’s something about this wandering teenager, navigating through the contrasting worlds of the fractured home of his father – a street money lender – and his upper-class school friends, that will resonate strongly in the Latin American context. On the other, it’s encouraging to connect with other filmmakers in Montevideo, the new home to Ventana Sur and a symbol of the strength and resilience of our industry, even in its darkest moments,” he adds.
In addition to writing and directing, Duque will produce alongside his frequent collaborators Franco Lolli and Capucine Mahé – a quickly rising pair of stars on Colombia’s independent scene. Their previous work together includes Duque’s multi-prized short “Todo Incluido” and Lolli’s Colombian Academy Macondo award winner “Litigante” and Cannes player “Gente de bien.”
“’Name and Surname’ is our third collaboration with Duván, after two excellent short films, and, as producers, it is exhilarating to be building this path together and to accompany him now in producing his debut film,” the two tell Variety. “Duván absolutely has a story to tell, and we know that his vision, dedication, and work ethic will lead us to a very profound and cinematographic portrait of what being a teenager in our modern Latin-American societies entails, especially when coming from a broken home.”
As a project, “Name and Surname” has participated in France’s BAL-LAB Biarritz Amérique Latine Festival and The Writing Residency, Mallorca’s The Write Retreat, and Colombia’s Ópera de Leyva Lab, where it scored the Fósil Prize. It also received financial backing by Proimágenes in Colombia.
While in Montevideo for this year’s Ventana Sur, the film’s producers are hoping to close a deal with a third co-producer and engage in discussions with sales agents, distributors, TV channels and platforms.
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