Kino Lorber has announced the acquisition of all U.S. and Canadian rights to Leyla Bouzid’s music-filled debut feature “As I Open My Eyes” ahead of its U.S. debut at the Tribeca Film Festival.
The French-Tunisian production is set in 2010 Tunis just a few months before the events surrounding the Arab Spring revolution. According to Kino Lorber’s synopsis, the film depicts the “clash between culture and family as seen through the eyes of a young Tunisian woman balancing the traditional expectations of her family with her creative life, as the singer in a politically charged rock band.”
In addition to marking it’s U.S. premiere during Tribeca, “As I Open My Eyes” will play at this year’s COLCOA (“City of Light, City of Angels”) and is in competition at the San Francisco International Film Festival. The film also won the Europa Cinemas Label prize as best European film in the Venice fest’s independently run Venice Days section.
“Leyla Bouzid has made a powerful and incredibly moving debut with ‘As I Open My Eyes,’” said Richard Lorber. “We’re certain that American audiences will open their eyes to her immense talent and filmmaking skills. Furthermore, we couldn’t have asked for a better national platform for the film than the Tribeca Film Festival.”
Kino Lorber will open the film at New York’s Lincoln Plaza Cinemas on September 9, 2016. A digital and home media release is set for early 2017.
[via Press materials]
