Following the world premiere of “My Neighbor Adolf” on the Piazza Grande in Locarno, Beta Cinema has sold the dark comedy to Vendetta Films, which will bring the Udo Kier and David Hayman starrer to cinemas across Australia and New Zealand in the first quarter of next year.
Prior to Locarno, Beta Cinema sold the film to Hungary (Cinetel) and Switzerland (Praesens Film), while deals for North America (Cohen Media Group), U.K. and Ireland (Signature Entertainment), Italy (I Wonder), South Korea (Lumix Media) and Japan (Tohokushinsha Film) had been revealed before.
The film is set in Colombia in 1960, just a few days after the Nazi criminal Adolf Eichmann was caught by Mossad agents in Argentina. Polsky, played by Hayman, is a lonely and grumpy old man, living in the remote Colombian countryside. He is a survivor of the Holocaust. He spends his days playing chess and tending his beloved rosebushes. One day, a mysterious old German man – played by Kier – moves in next door, and Polsky suspects that his new neighbor is… Adolf Hitler. Since nobody believes him, he embarks on a mission to uncover the evidence. In order to gather it, however, he will need to come closer to his neighbor than he would like – so close that the two could almost become friends.
Writer/director Leon Prudovsky (“Five Hours from Paris”) has co-written and directed three TV series, two feature films, and many short- and medium-length films, and has received awards at numerous film events. His 2005 short film “Dark Night” was nominated for the Student Academy Awards, and received a special mention at the Venice Film Festival.
Jill Macnab, who brokered the deal on behalf of Vendetta Films, stated: “ ‘My Neighbor Adolf’ is such a unique film, both funny and poignant, and we’re delighted to be releasing it. We hope that our audiences will respond to it as well as we have.”
Thorsten Ritter, exec VP acquisitions, sales and marketing at Beta Cinema, said: “At Vendetta Films in New Zealand, ‘My Neighbor Adolf’ has found the perfect home, as ‘Jojo Rabbit’ by compatriot Taika Waititi has been cited by many as a comparison. May there be similar sensitivities amongst the audiences now so that they seek out this little gem!”
“My Neighbor Adolf” was produced by 2-Team Productions (Israel) and Film Produkcja (Poland), in co-production with Vandalo (Colombia), United King Films (Israel) and Reisdor Films (Israel).
Kier’s credits range from Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s “Lola” and Gus van Sant’s “My Own Private Idaho” to Lars von Trier’s “Breaking the Waves,” “Dancer in the Dark” and “Dogville,” and Todd Stevens’ “Swan Song.”
Hayman’s credits include “Sid and Nancy” by Alex Cox, “The Jackal” by Michael Caton-Jones, “Ordinary Decent Criminal” by Thaddeus O’Sullivan, “The Tailor of Panama” and “Hope and Glory,” both directed by John Boorman, and “The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas” by Mark Herman.
