France’s Les Films de l’œil Sauvage and Switzerland’s Alva Films have boarded Pedro Speroni’s “Talia After Talia,” produced by Argentina’s El Ojo Silva. The documentary is one of the projects selected for this year’s prestigious IDFA Forum, where it will be presented as part of the pitching projects.
The film follows the titular 27-year-old, who spent eight years in a maximum-security prison in Argentina. Once freed, Talia returns to live with her mother in a marginalized neighborhood, where she begins a difficult path towards integration. Speaking with Variety out of the Dutch festival, Speroni says the project will “bring to a close” a trilogy he began with 2021’s “Rancho” and 2023’s “The Bilbaos,” his two previous films.
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“This co-production is a great joy,” he says of the recently sealed deal, emphasizing his partners’ commitment to stories driven by social causes. “Together with Alva Films and L’œil Sauvage, we are focused on giving our protagonist a noble voice, working as a team with great dedication to achieve it. We believe that this co-production will be essential in securing the funds necessary to produce the film. At the same time, we consider that the committed and talented vision of Alva Films and L’œil Sauvage can greatly enhance the project, allowing us to tell a powerful story about Talia.”
The director says his protagonists may come from different worlds from his own, but their stories “intersect with my personal history in unexpected ways.” He recalls being 10 years old in an upper-class family of ambassadors and bankers, even serving as an altar boy for Pope John Paul II. Suddenly, his family lost it all in a heavily publicized scandal. His mother’s family owned a bank, which collapsed, and thousands of people lost their money, with the Trusso family name tarnished in Argentina and beyond.
“My uncle, who had been a father figure to me, was sent to prison,” recalls Speroni. “Week after week, my mother and I went to visit him. That period defined much of my childhood. Years later, while studying film, I was granted access to a maximum-security prison. The experience brought back those early memories with overwhelming clarity. It ultimately led me to spend two years living inside the prison to make ‘Rancho’ and ‘The Bilbaos.’ With ‘Talia After Talia,’ I’m trying to complete the exploration I began 10 years ago.”
Speroni recalls having met Talia and becoming instantly drawn to her character and story. He approached the inmate about the possibility of making a film together, and began recording her from the moment she stepped out of the prison for the first time since the age of 18. The nature of the project brought with it many challenges, from the bureaucratic maze of filming in a maximum-security prison to capturing Talia’s life in a tough Buenos Aires neighborhood.
Currently, “Talia After Talia” is in an advanced stage of development, with the team having already filmed “key scenes” including the main character’s release. Speroni arrived at IDFA to look for funds to complete the film’s shooting, and also to find possible sales agents and broadcasters. Speroni says being part of the Forum is “an enormous joy” for their entire team. “Participating in the forum not only gives us visibility but also provides the opportunity to meet colleagues, producers, directors, and sales agents, with whom we can build relationships based on trust, friendship, and potential future collaborations. We feel that this is the perfect place to share our project.”
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