Paradise City Sales is positioning 'The Echo Chamber' as a prestige art-house play with serious Cannes pedigree. The film pairs Oscar winner Alicia Vikander with screen legend Susan Sarandon under the guidance of critically acclaimed auteur Andrea Pallaoro, whose last three films all premiered at major festivals.
Insiders say this is essentially the last screenplay from Bernardo Bertolucci — who died in 2018 — and that's the real selling point here. There's enormous pressure on Pallaoro to honor a legacy that includes 'The Last Emperor' and 'The Dreamers.' Industry chatter suggests buyers are circling but cautious about the heavy expectations.
Paradise City Sales previously worked with producer Indigo Film on 'Primavera,' which sold to more than 70 territories worldwide. Jeanne Loriotti, sales executive at Paradise City Sales, called it 'a rare project that brings together a singular auteur vision, a high-profile international cast and a deeply emotional narrative.' The film is currently in post-production.
This is Bertolucci's final screenplay hitting the market with serious star power attached — but art-house buyers know that posthumous projects come with baggage. Paradise City Sales and UTA are gambling that grief translates to gold at Cannes.
Paradise City Sales has officially boarded Andrea Pallaoro's 'The Echo Chamber' ahead of this year's Cannes Film Market, with UTA Independent Film Group co-repping the project for North America. The film stars Alicia Vikander alongside Luca Marinelli and Susan Sarandon in what industry insiders are already calling one of the most anticipated acquisitions of the market season. But here's where it gets interesting — and by interesting, I mean complicated.
'The Echo Chamber' is being billed as the final screenplay from Bernardo Bertolucci, who died in November 2018 at age 77. The legendary director behind 'The Last Emperor,' 'The Last Emperor,' 'The Dreamers,' and countless other classics wrote the story and screenplay alongside Ilaria Bernardini and Ludovica Rampoldi before his death. Indigo Film confirmed this week that Pallaoro has 'made the film his own, interpreting it through the lens of his personal artistic vision and sensibility.' Translation: it's Pallaoro's movie now, but Bertolucci's ghost is very much in the room.
The cast alone makes this a must-watch project. Vikander won her Oscar for 'The Danish Girl' and has been quietly building an impressive art-house resume alongside her studio work. Sarandon brings decades of credibility and international name recognition.
Marinelli, meanwhile, is a rising Italian star who's been turning heads since his breakthrough in 'Lo Chiameremo... Amore.' Jeanne Loriotti, sales executive at Paradise City Sales, described the project as 'a rare project that brings together a singular auteur vision, a high-profile international cast and a deeply emotional narrative,' adding that Pallaoro 'reaches a new level of maturity, crafting a film that is both formally striking and profoundly moving.' The production backing reads like a who's who of European cinema.
Indigo Film — the same company whose previous film 'Primavera' sold to more than 70 territories worldwide — is producing alongside Rai Cinema for Italy and Versus in association with O'Brother Distribution for Belgium. Additional funding comes from the Ministero della Cultura, Regione Lazio's Lazio Cinema International, and the Creative Europe MEDIA program of the European Union. The creative team includes cinematographer Diego García ('Cemetery of Splendour,' 'Nuestro Tiempo'), editor Paola Freddi ('Hannah,' 'Monica'), production designer Gaspare De Pascali ('Primavera'), costume designer Antonella Cannarozzi ('I Am Love'), and a score composed by Academy Award and Golden Globe winner Clément Ducol, known for 'Emilia Pérez.' Pallaoro's directorial track record suggests this isn't just another prestige bait-and-switch.
His debut feature 'Medeas' screened on the Lido before winning multiple international awards. 'Hannah,' starring Charlotte Rampling, premiered in competition at Venice where Rampling won the Volpi Cup for best actress — and the film later received a César nomination for best foreign film. His most recent feature, 'Monica,' starring Trace Lysette and Patricia Clarkson, also competed for a Golden Lion at Venice.
That's three consecutive Venice premieres with serious award recognition. Whether he can carry that momentum while honoring Bertolucci's final wishes remains to be seen — but one thing's certain: this is the kind of project that makes Cannes buyers lose sleep.
