Wooden Boat, Pucará Cine, Reteam For ‘Bajo el Mismo Sol,’ From New Directors Winner (EXCLUSIVE)
Set to be unveiled at this week’s San Sebastian Europe-Latin America Co-Production Forum, “Bajo el Mismo Sol” has secured a first co-production deal ahead of the festival.
Argentina’ Pucará Cine has boarded the project, reteaming with lead producer Wooden Boat Productions in the Dominican Republican on director Ulises Porra’s third feature. Both production companies co-produced Porra’s most recent movie, “Carajita” (2021), co-directed by Silvina Schnicer, which won the New Directors award at last year’s San Sebastián, swept Guadalajara, and collected hardware at Argentina’s Mar del Plata and the Miami Film Festival.
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Set in 1820, “‘Bajo el mismo sol’ is a historically resonant tale of three “highly contrasting characters,” says Porra – Lázaro, an entrepreneur, son of a rich trader; Mei, a young Chinese woman and expert in silk; and Baptiste, an Haitian army deserter – who battle to create a first silk factory in the Dominican Republic. But it’s an uphill task: the caterpillar, for example, doesn’t adapt well to the tropical climate. Can they succeed?
At the Forum, the partners aim to land European production partners.
“After ‘Carajita,’ it felt natural to invite Púcara,” explained Ulla Prida, producer at Wooden Boat Productions. “We had created a very good relation and we wanted to repeat.”
“This time, Ulises Porra has upped the ante with a bigger-scale project, and we wanted to continue to support him. On this occasion, he questions sexism and racial discrimination in the modern era,” explained Barbara Sarasola and Federico Eibuszyc, producers at Pucará Cine.
Pucará Cine produced 2017 Venice Days winner “Candelaria,” from Johnny Hendrix, and Benjamín Naishtat’s acclaimed “Rojo,” a 2018 San Sebastian best director winner. Pucará has backed all of Porra ‘s features.
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