Venice Days Competition Title ‘The Indies’ Boarded by MoreThan Films

Barcelona-based world sales company MoreThan Films has acquired period road movie “Les Indes” (“The Indies”), co-written and directed by first-time feature filmmakers Pauline Julier and Nicolas Chapoulier, ahead of its premiere in the Venice Film Festival’s Giornate Degli Autori (Venice Days).

Produced by Spain’s Lastor Media (“Alcarràs”) and Switzerland’s Alina Film (“The Currents”) and inspired by true events, “Les Indes” centers on Alejandro (Théo Urtubey), a young Spanish nobleman, who, along with two French soldiers (played by Raphaël Thiéry and Lazare Minoungou), is tasked with delivering a portrait of the infanta of Spain – Maria Theresa, daughter of King Philip IV – to the young king of France, Louis XIV, in the hope of sealing a fragile alliance between the two countries in 1652.

Set against a backdrop of turbulent transition as the Middle Ages moves into modernity, the film follows the three men on their long and arduous journey, across a Europe ravaged by wars and uprisings, to Versailles.

“It is the 17th century: the medieval era is fading in the face of the rise of science, rationalism, and commerce,” Julier and Chapoulier explained in a statement. “The world is no longer merely to be explored – it is to be conquered. Galileo opens new horizons, while mercantilism lays the foundations of capitalism. In this context, popular uprisings erupt under the pressure of taxation and poverty. It is along these roads, marked by tensions between the old world and the new order, that ‘Les Indes’ unfolds.”

“‘Les Indes’ captivated us with its ability to transform a historical episode into a deeply contemporary reflection on power, images, and our relationship with the natural world,” said Queralt Pons Serra, managing partner of MoreThan Films.

“Rather than simply reconstructing the past, the film uses history as a lens through which to examine the origins of the world we inhabit today. With its bold visual language and meditative storytelling, Pauline Julier and Nicolas Chapoulier have crafted a singular cinematic journey, a singular work that challenges, rewards, and stays with you long after the screening, making it a natural addition to our program.”

Lidia Damatto, fellow managing partner at MoreThan Films, added: “‘Les Indes’ marks our second collaboration with Alina Film. We worked together on the Locarno breakout hit ‘Hanami’ in 2024, directed by Denise Fernandes and produced by Eugenia Mumenthaler and David Epiney.

“We’re very happy to continue to work with producers who not only consistently deliver fantastic projects, every year, but who also share our collaborative working philosophy and market approach for arthouse films.”

The film, which was presented as a work in progress at this year’s ECAM Forum co-production market in Madrid, was recently picked up by Switzerland’s Sister Distribution.