Film Movement has snagged North American rights to teen runaway drama “Twin Flower.” According to Variety, a small U.S. theatrical run is planned.

Written and directed by Laura Luchetti, the indie Italian drama is set in Sardinia and centers on two 16-year-olds, “Anna, whose father reluctantly works for an immigrants trafficker, and Basim, who has arrived illegally on the Italian island from the Ivory Coast. They meet and hit the road together across Sardinia’s sun-scorched countryside, escaping from a menacing pursuer,” the source summarizes.

“I am naturally drawn to stories about lost innocence and the struggle to regain it,” Luchetti told us. “My two protagonists are trying to escape from a reality that hurt them. They are both running towards their future and the right to have one. Currently, around the world, there are millions of kids like them who don’t have a voice, but who are trying to scream very loud to get our attention. We need to give them back their innocence and the right to be happy,” she emphasized.

“With this timely drama, Laura Luchetti not only solidifies her reputation as one of the top Italian filmmakers to watch, but also as a director who can elicit incredibly moving, naturalistic performances from young acting talent,” Film Movement president Michael Rosenberg said in a statement. “Because of this, we’re looking forward to having North American audiences fall in love with Anastasyia Bogach [who plays Anna] and Kalill Kone [who plays Basim] just as their characters do on screen.”

“Twin Flower” made its world premiere at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival and went on to screen at fests such as London Film Festival and the Seattle International Film Festival.

Luchetti made her feature directorial debut with 2010’s “Hayfever,” a romantic comedy set in a vintage store.