Toronto Fest Centrepiece Title ‘Where the River Begins,’ h624 Pick-Up

Canadian distributor h264 has pounced on worldwide sales rights to “Where the River Begins” (“Donde comienza el rio”) by Colombian-Canadian filmmaker Juan Andrés Arango (“La Playa DC”), ahead of its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival (TIFF).

Starring Girleza Duave Cerezo, Juan David Junca Linares and Ana Michell Nama Dumaza, “Where the River Begins” screens at TIFF’s Centrepiece section, a coveted platform for international cinematic voices.

It follows Yajaira (played by Duave Cerezo), a young Embera woman, who lives with her daughter Maria  (Nama Dumaza) in a rough Bogotá neighborhood. Haunted by dreams of the jungle, Yajaira pines for the village she left behind. After tragedy forces them to flee, she and her daughter embark on a perilous journey to the Andágueda River, accompanied by Jhon (Junca Linares), a charismatic young gang member with a dark secret. The teaser unfolds below:

Said h264 president Jean-Christophe Lamontagne: “’Where the River Begins” is a bold and deeply rooted film with the ability to resonate far beyond its place of origin. Juan Andrés Arango’s singular vision, combined with the strength of the project, makes us incredibly excited about the film’s international journey as we head into TIFF.”

“’Where the River Begins’ is a film about the universal search for a place we can call home, told from the singular perspective of a young Embera mother. For me, having this film selected for TIFF represents an ideal starting point for its international journey, at a festival renowned precisely for its great diversity of voices,” Arango told Variety.

“Working with h264 has been a new and stimulating experience as a filmmaker, as I had never before established such a close creative collaboration with a sales agent. Jean-Christophe J. Lamontagne and Léa-Marie Montreuil have been involved since post-production, providing creative input during the final stages of the edit. This has made me feel that h264 is not simply a business partner but an integral part of the film’s team,” said Arango whose career-launching debut feature “La Playa DC” (Cannes 2012, Lions Film Award Rotterdam) represented Colombia at the Oscars. His second film, “X500,” premiered at the 2016 TIFF and scored several wins at a number of festivals.

Shot in Bogotá, Medellín and Honda among other locations in Colombia by DP Nicolas Canniccioni, the Canadian-Colombian co-production, in collaboration with Norway, was produced by Annick Blanc (Midi La Nuit) and Maria Gracia Turgeon (Midi La Nuit and 12PM) and Paola Andrea Pérez Nieto of Colombia’s Inercia Películas, a producer of Cannes 2015 Caméra d’Or winner “Land & Shade.”

The 51st Toronto Film Festival takes place over Sept. 10-20.