Alberto Lecchi Iberseries-Sure ‘A Distant Place’ Picks Solid, Rizoma

Chile’s Sebastián Freund of Rizoma Movies and Argentine thesps Ernesto Alterio (“The Passenger”) and Soledad Villamil (“The Secret in Their Eyes”) have boarded the upcoming feature by Argentine filmmaker Alberto Lecchi, “A Distant Place” (“Un lugar lejano”).

Rizoma Movies (“Papa al rescate,” “The Same Blood”) joins lead producer Twins Latin Movies of Argentina and co-producers Filmakers Monkeys (Spain) within the drama that participates within the Iberseries & Platino Industria Co-Production Forum in Madrid.

Penned by Gerardo Pranteda, the story revolves around a pianist and a history teacher as they struggle for a second likelihood at love before a shattering illness impacts the musician’s grip on reality.

“We’re excited to make a movie that shows how love, memory, and bonds can offer comfort and hope even in essentially the most difficult moments. It also addresses frontotemporal dementia, a condition rarely explored in cinema, providing an empathetic and sensitive perspective,” said Lorena Quevedo, CEO & producer at Twins Latin Movies.

Based in Córdoba, Argentina, Twins Latin Movies’ most up-to-date productions are “Almamula,” which had its world premiere on the Berlinale last yr, and Rodrigo Guerrero’s “Salvajes,” each streaming on Prime Video.

Rizoma was a co-producer on “Salvajes, which can debut on Prime Video on September 24. “It was an incredibly gratifying experience,” said Freund. “When Lorena invited me to take part in ‘A Distant Place,’ I felt that it was not only the theme of the film— a love story, the complexity of human relationships, a rare mental illness, the importance of second probabilities—compelling, but additionally the committed talent involved – including the young Chilean actor, Clemente Rodríguez, [“El Conde”], Chile’s Sergio Armstrong [“Neruda”] because the director of photography and editor Andrea Chignoli [“No”], alongside Spanish co-producer Néstor López of Filmakers Monkeys –  that allow us to ascertain an amazing international project with the potential to cross borders and debut at a class-A festival,” said Freund. 

Founded in 2009 by Quevedo and Pablo Di Patrizio, Twins Latin Movies’ co-production business model has led it to collaborate with France, Germany, Italy, Mexico and Chile up to now.

The Iberseries Co-Production Forum is the subsequent stop within the project’s development journey, which follows its prize win on the recent Guadalajara Film Festival’s Co-Production Meeting. “We’re evaluating the potential for adding a Mexican producer and we’re still open to partners from other territories,” said Quevedo.

“From a production standpoint, it presents a chance to create a piece of high artistic value that touches on universal emotions, enabling the creation of an organic co-production amongst Ibero-American countries, tailored to their markets and audiences,” she added.

Principal photography for “A Distant Place” is slated for June 2025 in Madrid, Córdoba and Mendoza in Argentina and Santiago, Chile.

Iberseries & Platino Industria takes place Oct. 1- 4 in Madrid.