HBO Europe, Suraya Filem Snap Up Venice Title ‘The Red Suitcase’

U.K.-based sales agent Reason8 Films has sold 2023 Venice title “The Red Suitcase” to HBO for Europe and Suraya Filem for Malaysia and Brunei.

The 15 territories covered under the HBO deal include Albania, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Moldova, Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia and Bulgaria. Reason8 Films said that advanced negotiations are on for North America and Latin America.

“The Red Suitcase” premiered in the Venice Film Festival‘s Horizons strand and its festival run included Zurich and Mumbai.

In the mystery tale, a pick-up truck driver leaves Kathmandu airport for a two-day drive with a delivery arriving from abroad to a remote mountain village. On the high road, a solitary figure slowly makes his way, wheeling a small red suitcase toward the same village. The cast includes Saugat Malla, Prabin Khatiwada, Bipin Karki, Shristhi Shrestha, Sonam Lama, Anju Deuja and B. Bishowkarma.

The film, a rare Nepal-Sri Lanka co-production, marks the feature directorial debut of Nepalese filmmaker Fidel Devkota, who previously directed the short “The Last Yak Herder of Dhe” (2014) and documentary short “Wind of Change in Lo Mustang” (2016).

“The Red Suitcase” is produced by Ram Krishna Pokharel and Shova Thapa for Nepal’s Icefall Productions (2023 Karlovy Vary title “Guras”) and for Sri Lanka’s Film Council Productions, auteur Vimukthi Jayasundara, whose “The Forsaken Land” (2005) won the Camera d’Or at Cannes, alongside Cine Sankipa, Nepal.

“The film reflects the spirit of young people in Nepal today, who live with growing political and economic uncertainty. It also highlights the adverse social costs associated with migration and remittance in contemporary Nepal. Remittances sent home by migrant workers have emerged as the backbone of Nepal’s economy in recent times, which values around 30% of GDP. Even though remittance has significantly contributed to the economic development of Nepal and raised the living standard of the people, there are overshadowing tragedies associated with it,” Devkota had told Variety at the time of its world premiere.