Totem Films Nabs Zeina Durra’s Sundance-Bound ‘Luxor,’ CAA Handles North American Rights

By Elsa Keslassy

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Totem Films has acquired international sales rights to Zeina Durra’s “Luxor,” which will have its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition.

CAA is representing North American rights. The film, which stars Andrea Riseborough (“Black Mirror”) and Karim Saleh (“Transparent”), marks Durra’s follow up to her 2010 feature debut “The Imperialists Are Still Alive!,” which also premiered at Sundance.

The drama romance follows Hana, a British aid worker who returns to the ancient city of Luxor where she comes across Sultan, a talented archaeologist and former lover. As she wanders, haunted by the familiar place, she struggles to reconcile the choices of the past with the uncertainty of the present.

Along with Durra, “Luxor” is produced by Mohamed Hefzy through his production company Film Clinic, Mamdouh Saba, and Gianluca Chakra of Front Row. Paul Webster and Front Row’s Hisham Al Ghanim are executive producing; Daniel Ziskind of and Ihab Ayoub are serving as associate producers. “Luxor” will be distributed by Front Row in the Middle East and North Africa.

Riseborough starred in “Birdman” and “Mandy,” as well as “Black Mirror,” while the French-born Saleh starred in the series “Transparent,” “The Attack” and “Vice.” Saleh had also starred in Durra’s “The Imperialists Are Still Alive!”

The Paris-based Totem Films was launched a little over a year ago by veteran French sales agents Agathe Valentin and Bérénice Vincent, and cinema finance expert Laure Parleani. The banner company recently handled international sales of Levan Akin’s “And Then We Danced,” which sold to 35 countries and is Sweden’s Oscar submission in the international feature film race.

“We have been charmed by Hana’s journey in the fascinating scenery of Luxor. Zeina knows how to capture an atmosphere, a state of mind,” said Valentin about “Luxor.”

Hefzy, whose production credits include “Clash” and “Yomeddine,” said he was “proud to be working along with Totem Films and CAA in unveiling (their) latest labor of love in the prestigious World Dramatic Competition of Sundance.”