IFC Films has acquired the North American rights to “R.M.N.,” the latest film from Romanian auteur Cristian Mungiu ahead of its Cannes debut.
Mungiu is the director of the sensational Palme D’Or winner “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days,” and “R.M.N.” now marks the fifth collaboration between Mungiu and IFC Films. IFC plans to release “R.M.N.” in theaters later this year.
“R.M.N.” is playing in the main competition at Cannes and stars Marin Grigore and Judith State.
A few days before Christmas, having quit his job in Germany, Matthias (Marin Grigore) returns to his multi-ethnic Transylvanian village. He wishes to involve himself more in the education of his son, Rudi, left for too long in the care of his mother, Ana, and to rid the boy of the unresolved fears that have taken hold of him. He’s preoccupied with his old father, Otto and also eager to see his ex-lover, Csilla (Judith State). When a few new workers are hired at the small factory that Csilla manages, the peace of the community is disturbed, underlying fears grip the adults, and frustrations, conflicts and passions erupt through the thin veneer of apparent understanding and calm.
“R.M.N.” is produced by Cristian Mungiu with Mobra Films and executive produced by Tudor Reu. Co-producers include Pascal Caucheteux and Gregoire Sorlat of Why Not Productions, Sean Wheelan of Filmgate Films, Anthony Muir and Kristina Börjeson of Film I Väst, and Delphine Tomson of Les Films Du Fleuve.
“This Cannes marks the 15th anniversary of when IFC Films started working with Cristian for the first time after the premiere of Palme D’or winning ‘4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days.’ He is one of the best directors working in cinema today and his incredible body of work has made a lasting impression on the global stage. We are so honored he has made IFC Films his home once again. We were absolutely blown away by the ‘R.M.N.’ and are delighted to work with Cristian to bring the film to North American audiences,” Arianna Bocco, IFC Films president, said in a statement.
“I am very happy that 15 years after ‘4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days’ I am back in Cannes and part of the Official Selection. It means even more that I am able to continue working with the people who have stood by me all these years, in my attempt to make my films reach as many people as possible, in as many theaters as possible,” Mungiu said in a statement. “I hope they will help me communicate that once again through a story set in a tiny little place, I try to speak about us, today. I think it’s also good to check what are the limits of our freedom as filmmakers today in a world where political correctness started setting limits about what is appropriate to say – and what is not. I feel I owe one explanation: RMN in English is NMR: Nuclear Magnetic Resonance – basically a brain investigation. Given how the world looks today, I feel we need one.”
Mungiu last returned to Cannes in 2016 with his film “Graduation.”
The deal was negotiated by SVP of Acquisitions and Productions for IFC Films, Scott Shooman with Eva Diederix on behalf of Wild Bunch, and CAA Media Finance. Wild Bunch is handling international sales.
Variety first reported the news.