This is a triumphant moment for Katharina Rivilis—a German filmmaker whose debut feature has earned rare validation from both Cannes and Wim Wenders himself. Nour Films' acquisition means French audiences will experience what the festival's Un Certain Regard selection committee already recognized: a fresh European voice with something urgent to say about America, fear, and adolescence in the shadow of tragedy.
Here's what's notable behind the glossy premiere talk: Wim Wenders doesn't produce debut features. His own quote confirms this—'I have rarely produced films by other directors, let alone debut feature films.' That he made an exception for Rivilis speaks volumes about what Road Movies saw in this project early on. DCM already snagged German rights before Cannes, suggesting the film had heat even without festival validation.
The world premiere takes place at Cannes Un Certain Regard (Official Selection). Wenders stated verbatim: 'I was blown away, when I saw the first rough cut... Katharina invented her own cinematic language.' Nour Films President Patrick Sibourd called Rivilis 'a major new European talent' in an official statement. The film is produced by Road Movies, Wolfskind Films, and 8horses with support from Eurimages – Council of Europe and Hessen Film & Medien.
Luxbox continues its Cannes momentum while Nour Films lands what could be the discovery of the festival season. Watch for Naomi Cosma—this German newcomer anchors a film that treats American trauma through foreign eyes, and that's a perspective Hollywood rarely executes this gracefully.
Luxbox has closed a French distribution deal for Katharina Rivilis' 'I'll Be Gone in June,' with Nour Films set to release the film across France later this year. The announcement comes paired with an exclusive first trailer debuting exclusively in Variety. The English-language feature marks Rivilis' directorial debut and earned its Cannes placement on the strength of a distinctive premise: Franny, a 16-year-old German exchange student arriving in Las Cruces, New Mexico, navigates teenage isolation against the backdrop of post-September 11th America.
Shot in the dry desert landscape of the American Southwest, the film offers what Rivilis describes as an outsider's view of 2001—a year that reshaped the nation and a young girl's understanding of her host country. The director drew from personal experience for this project, having herself spent time as an exchange student in New Mexico. 'I am extremely thankful to have found such a passionate and dedicated distributor in Nour Films,' Rivilis said about the French acquisition.
'France has such a rich culture and profound love of cinema and so I am very excited that our film will be distributed there.' The film's casting represents an intriguing blend of professional and non-professional talent. German actor Naomi Cosma delivers what insiders are already calling a breakout performance as Franny, while the role of Elliott went to a young American non-pro whom Rivilis discovered locally in New Mexico—a casting approach that brings documentary authenticity to the fictional narrative.
The production pedigree carries significant weight in European art-house circles. Road Movies, Wim Wenders' Berlin-based production company, leads the international co-production between Germany, Switzerland, and the United States alongside Wolfskind Films and 8horses. Wenders himself served as producer alongside Léa Germain and Clemens Köstlin.
In a statement that speaks to the film's quality, Wenders revealed he rarely produces other directors' work—citing Chris Petit's 'Radio On' in 1979 as his only previous exception—but made an immediate commitment after reading Rivilis' script. 'I was blown away, when I saw the first rough cut,' Wenders said. 'The film was done with great care, certainly beautifully shot and the acting was impeccable...
One could say that Katharina invented her own cinematic language, and that is exactly the kind of film that gives me hope for the future of cinema.' Patrick Sibourd, president of Nour Films, framed the acquisition in political terms that resonate beyond standard festival positioning. 'Katharina Rivilis's striking debut transforms a story of exile, adolescent longing and disillusionment into a quietly political portrait of post-9/11 America, where the Bush-era climate of fear, suspicion and patriotic tension already seems to foreshadow the fractures of the Trump years.' The comment marks an unusual direct reference to contemporary American politics from a European distributor.
Luxbox handles international sales for 'I'll Be Gone in June' as part of a robust Cannes slate that includes Diego Luna's 'Ashes,' Bruno Dumont's 'Red Rocks,' and Lisandro Alonso's 'Double Freedom.' DCM already secured German distribution rights before the festival, suggesting commercial interest preceded critical validation. The film counts support from Hessen Film & Medien, Eurimages – Council of Europe, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, and ARRI International Support Program among its funding sources.
Rivilis previously studied acting at the University of Film and Television 'Konrad Wolf' in Potsdam-Babelsberg before transitioning to directing at DFFB, where her short films 'Ariana Forever!' and 'Day X' earned festival selections and a Student Academy Awards nomination in 2021. Her 2022 short 'Rondo' premiered at the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival, establishing credentials that clearly caught Wenders' attention before Cannes did.
