MoreThan Films has taken international sales rights to Spanish coming-of-age drama “Salen las lobas” (“The Bitch Pack”) ahead of its world premiere at Spain’s Valladolid Film Festival (Seminci) on Oct. 25.
Marking Claudia Estrada Tarascó’s feature debut, the film is one of the anticipated discoveries in Valladolid’s Meeting Point competition. The festival’s 71st edition runs Oct. 23-31.
Produced by Alba Sotorra (“The Return: Life After ISIS”), the Spain-Belgium-Denmark co-production follows Luna, a rebellious teenager sent to a juvenile detention center after her father accuses her of abuse.
There, she bonds with three fellow inmates. Together they dream of competing in a Barcelona trap music contest, finding friendship and a new sense of family within the institution.
The film also features in Seminci Joven, Valladolid’s youth-oriented program.
“We believe ‘Salen las lobas’ has strong potential to connect with young audiences worldwide, thanks to its universal story, the authenticity of its protagonists and its musical approach,” Sotorra told Variety.
Drawing on the real-life experience of Estrada’s sister, Valeria Estrada Tarascó, who entered a juvenile justice facility at the age of 14, the filmmaker spent four years researching the experiences of girls in juvenile detention and the legal proceedings they face.
Valeria herself plays Luna, heading a cast of largely nonprofessional performers, some with firsthand experience of similar circumstances.
“Luna found in music a way to resist during her time in detention,” Sotorra said. “All the songs in the film are original, written and performed by the protagonists themselves, who are now making their way in the music world.”
The ensemble includes rap and trap artist Marrouch Laamarti, known as Huda, Vanessa Aisha Badji and Sara Martínez, alongside established actors Rosa Boladeras (“El mal invisible”) and Alex Brendemühl (“The German Doctor”), who plays Luna’s father.
Having won Atlàntida Film Fest’s best fiction project award, “Salen las lobas” also marks the first feature under Oceanika, producer Alba Sotorra’s new banner.
The European co-production partners Oceanika with Spain’s Vampire Films, Belgium’s Novak Prod and Denmark’s Paloma Productions, whose credits include Ruben Östlund’s Palme d’Or winner “Triangle of Sadness.”
“For us, European co-production is much more than a financing tool,” Sotorra said. “It’s a way of bringing together different perspectives, talent and resources to make films that take creative risks and don’t fit conventional production models.”
Silencio Cinema will release “Salen las lobas” theatrically in Spain on Dec. 11, with indie streaming service Filmin attached and Spanish public broadcaster RTVE also on board. The film is backed by Eurimages, Creative Europe MEDIA, Spain’s ICAA and Catalonia’s ICEC.
Headed by Queralt Pons, MoreThan Films operates between Barcelona, Berlin and São Paulo, handling fiction, documentaries and experimental films for international markets.