Spain’s Amore Cine, Txintxua Films Board Chile’s ‘Morir de Pie’

Paz Lázaro’s Madrid-based Amore Cine and Basque producer Txintxua Films, one driving force behind the Basque Country’s robust growth, have boarded Quijote Films’ wry psychological drama “Morir de Pie” (“To Die on Your Feet”) by María Paz Gonzalez (“Lina de Lima”).

They join Argentina’s Gema Films, which joined the production earlier this year and also co-produced “Lina de Lima” with Santiago and LA-based Quijote Films.

The new pact, announced at Madrid confab Iberseries & Platino Industria, signals the ever-growing collaborative efforts among filmmakers from Spain and Latin America. Spain’s generous incentives and national and regional subsidies have drawn more producers from Latin America and elsewhere to partner with Spanish players. The launch of up-to-70% tax credits in the Basque Country has made it even more enticing to work with such companies as Txintxua Films, known for hit series “Intimacy” which shot to No. 1 on Netflix’s global non-English charts when it first came out.

“Morir de Pie” turns on Cruz, an actress who works as a simulated patient for medical students. One night, while jogging at the gym in her building, she sees a body fall, but instead of helping, she keeps on jogging. Her actions are caught by security cameras and leads to a police inquiry. Unable to explain what happened, she realizes that her work has desensitized her, compelling her to set out on a journey to recover her repressed emotions. 

“At Amore Cine, we are delighted to join this fantastic team, reinforcing our collaboration with Latin America and our commitment to championing female directors with bold, innovative voices,” said Amore Cine’s Paz Lazaro, who added: “This film tackles timely and universally relevant themes, such as the impact of artificial intelligence on medicine and the dehumanization of medical processes, all conveyed with warmth, humor and a uniquely charismatic voice.”

“Together with María Paz and the entire Quijote team, we are thrilled about this new partnership with Amore Cine and Txintxua Films on a project that has received incredible attention throughout its development, from San Sebastián to the European Film Market and now at the Gotham Week,” said Giancarlo Nasi of Quijote Films.

“This milestone is a crucial step for ‘Morir de Pie,’ and we are confident that the Chilean-Spanish collaboration will allow us to fully harness the opportunities and the technical and artistic potential that the talents from our countries can bring,” he noted, adding: “As a production company, this is our second feature film with María Paz and our second collaboration with Amore Cine. This time, through a humorous yet impactful story, we present themes and characters that, though nearly invisible, tell stories we can all relate to.”

Quijote is also partnering with Amore Cine on “Ofelia” by Juan Pablo Félix (“Karnawal”), currently in development.