U.K.-based sales company Impronta Films has taken global rights to “Canone Effimero,” the latest work by Italy’s twin directorial duo Gianluca and Massimiliano De Serio, ahead of the creative documentary’s Berlin Film Festival world premiere.
The De Serio brothers broke out internationally with immigration-themed drama “Seven Acts of Mercy,” which made a splash on the festival circuit after premiering in competition in Locarno in 2011. The twins were subsequently at Venice in 2016 with the doc “River Memories,” about one of the largest shanty towns in Europe on the banks of the river Stura in Turin. They more recently helmed “The Stonebreaker,” about an exploited laborer in South Italy contending with raising his young son after the sudden death of the kid’s mother.
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“Canone Effimero,” which will launch from Berlin’s Forum section, portrays a hidden side of Italy’s cultural landscape, exploring areas where oral traditions, storytelling and singing are still alive. It offers audiences a rare glimpse into a social fabric that is still holding up against cultural homogenization. Promotional materials describe the piece as “not just a documentary, but a vibrant, immersive experience that celebrates the living traditions of Italy.”
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“We are thrilled to represent ‘Canone Effimero,’ a mesmerizing cinematic journey through Italy’s rich folk traditions,” Impronta’s head of acquisitions Ana Saiz said in a statement. “The De Serio brothers masterfully capture the soul of regional music, blending raw energy with breathtaking landscapes.”
The “Canone Effimero” deal marks the second collaboration between the De Serio’s regular producer Alessandro Borrelli and his La Sarraz Pictures following Impronta’s acquisition of Argentinian director Ulises de la Orden’s “The Trial,” which premiered at Berlin in 2023.
