Natalie Portman's 'A Tale of Love and Darkness' Lands at Focus World

The film, which made its world premiere at Cannes, will be launched as a foreign-language contender for Oscars 2017.

 

Focus World has acquired U.S. rights to Natalie Portman's feature directorial debut A Tale of Love and Darkness.

The film, which made its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May, was sold by CAA and will be launched as a foreign-language contender for Oscars 2017. Focus World will open the movie in a platform theatrical release later this year.

Based on a memoir by Amos Oz, one of Israel’s most lauded writers, the film centers on a young mother (Portman) raising the young Oz (Amir Tessler) against the backdrop of the birth of Israel. Oz's mother committed suicide when he was 12 years old, and the film chronicles her descent into depression.

The film was considered something of a tough sell given it's heavy subject and that it is in Hebrew, but it still courted major interest from art house distributors thanks to Portman's star power and the source material.

A Tale of Love and Darkness was a passion project for Portman, who optioned the rights to the book more than eight years ago. The Israeli-born actress met with the 76-year-old writer and adapted the screenplay.

Ram Bergman and David Mandil produced the film, which was shot in Jerusalem.

“A Tale of Love and Darkness has been my passion for almost a decade now since I read Amos Oz’s masterful book and knew I wanted to adapt it into a film,” said Portman. “I’m so proud, and feel so lucky, that the film we made will be distributed by Focus World. It is a great honor to have their brand of thoughtful distribution delivering the film into the world.”


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