A first look at Babak Jalali’s Billy Nighy. A city in Nova Scotiadropped before Paradise City launched its global sales in Cannes.
His fifth film after presenting his previous works in Locarno (Border Blues), Rotterdam (Radio streams) and Berlinale (land), the Iranian director earned international acclaim at Sundance’s Fremont.
A city in Nova Scotia The film revolves around a widowed Irish man, Leon, who plays himself Love indeed The star who receives a call from his daughter to join her in Nova Scotia. Instead, he launched a campaign to make Liverpool’s old building safer after news of a fire in a tower block in London. On a mission alongside his neighbor and best friend Salah (Makram Khoury), Leon turns the quiet lives of his fellow residents upside down in what is described as “a heartwarming story about friendship, stubbornness, and small acts of defiance.”
The photo posted on Wednesday shows Negi and Khoury riding a carousel on the banks of the lake.
The film was co-written by Carolina Cavalli, who collaborated with Jalali on Fremont. Additional creatives include production designer Polina Rzeszewska, cinematographer Crystal Fournier, costume designer Jessica Schofield, hair and makeup designer Carolyn Rose, and casting director Lucy Pardi.
Jalali said that his new film is about community and camaraderie in the last stage of life, and choosing how and with whom you want to spend this stage. “I am very happy I would work with Paradise City Sales again after the great experience I had with the entire team there in my previous film Fremont. I couldn’t wish for a more thoughtful, ambitious, dedicated and kind group of people to take this film into this big, weird world.
Executive producers are Christine Irving for BBC Film, Ama Ampadu for BFI, Christopher Moll for Liverpool Film Office, Sunny Gill and Peter O’Leary for Hoopsa Films, Naomi Debris and Michelle Marshall for Desmar, and Brad Nowell and Maria Dosani for Calculus. The film was developed in collaboration with BBC Film, and its UK distribution will be announced at a later date.
Nighy is repped by Independent Talent Group, UTA, Jackoway Austen Tyerman Wertheimer Mandlebaum Morris Bernstein Trattner Auerbach Hynick Jaime LeVine Sample & Klein and Public Eye Communications. Khoury is represented by Paul Baker. Jalali is repped by Independent Talent Group, CAA and Cinetic.
