Outside acquires Jaime Rosales’ "Beautiful Youth"

PanARMENIAN.Net - Consolidating still more its position as one of the most consistent buyers of top-drawer Spanish-language art pics, Paul Hudson’s Outsider Pictures has acquired U.S. rights to Jaime Rosales’ “Hermosa Juventud” (Beautiful Youth), Variety reports.

Sale was closed between Hudson and NDM’s Fiorella Moretti.

Coming hard on the heels of Outsider’s acquisition of four more Spanish-language titles, in a deal also announced at Ventana Sur, the “Beautiful Youth” sale consolidates yet more Outsider Pictures position as one of the most consistent buyers of Spanish-language pictures for the U.S., whether Cannes selections, Oscar entries, rave-about debuts, movies from genre and thriller auteurs, or titles which signify a step-up in scale.

After Pedro Almodovar, Cannes Festival has no more favorite son than Rosales. Screening in 2003’s Un Certain Regard, Rosales’ “The Hours of the Day” won a Fipresci prize. “Solitary Fragments,” which won best film and director at Spain’s 2007 Goya Awards, played Directors’ Fortnight, as did 2012’s “Dream and Silence.”

Produced by Fresdeval Films, Rosales label which he runs with producer Barbara Diez. Jose and Miguel Morales Wanda Films and Les Productions Balthazar in France, “Beautiful Youth” was selected for this year’s Un Certain Regard.

“Beautiful Youth” is an “as-accurate as-possible portrait of young people in contemporary Spain, 25-years-olds living in the outer suburbs,” Rosales told Variety before Cannes.

What distinguishes Rosales’ films, however, is not so much their subject as link between subject and film style, informing intelligence and engagement of audiences. Partly in drive for accuracy, “Youth” is made up 80% of 16mm shots, shot by the film crew, and 20% of images the actors took of themselves, using mini-DV, smart-phone and web-cam devices. Equally, in each take the actors improvised new dialogue, in order to make each take as fresh as possible.

“Unemployment, the lack of opportunities for today’s youth is “a huge problem which worries me. That said, Rosales, said, he had “hope and faith in young people. They’ll get by, because of their strength, and freshness, they’re waiting for their opportunity, for things to change.“