M-Appeal acquires “Lipstick Under My Burqa”

PanARMENIAN.Net - Berlin-based sales company M-Appeal has picked up “Lipstick Under My Burqa”, an Indian film that chronicles the secret lives of women in search of a little freedom, Variety said.

“Lipstick,” the second feature film from director Alankrita Shrivastava, is set in a small film in India. Here four women, trapped in their worlds, commit secret acts of rebellion.

One is a burqa-clad college girl, who struggles with issues of cultural identity and her aspirations to be a pop singer; the second is a young two-timing beautician, who seeks to escape the claustrophobia of her small town; the third is an oppressed housewife and mother of three, who lives the alternate life of an enterprising saleswoman; and finally there’s a 55-year-old widow, who rediscovers her sexuality through a phone romance.

The film is produced by Prakash Jha.

M-Appeal chief Maren Kroymann said: “Tracking the lives and sexuality of four women living in India is not an easy topic to tackle, but it was beautifully portrayed and the film has a feeling so fresh that we’re looking forward to bringing it to international audiences worldwide. We hope that viewers will fall in love with these characters, and continue the discussion that is so prevalent today — of international women’s rights.”

Recent sales by M-Appeal include Israeli title “Barash,” directed by Michal Vinik. Film Movement picked it up in the U.S., where it’s promoting the pic under the title “Blush.” The film also sold to TLA Releasing in the U.K. It started its run at the San Sebastian Film Festival last year.

Last year’s Venice Biennale College film “Blanka,” which was directed by Kohki Hasei, was sold to Spain’s European Dreams Factory.

The Argentine title “How to Win Enemies,” directed by Gabriel Lichtmann, went to Menemsha for the U.S. and Canada.

The Ecuadorean coming-of-age film “Feriado,” directed by Diego Araujo, was sold to TLA Releasing in the U.S. The pic started in Berlin’s Generations section in 2014.