Luxbox has closed a French distribution deal and shared an exclusive first trailer with Variety for Katharina Rivilis’ “I’ll Be Gone in June,” which has its world premiere in Cannes Un Certain Regard. Nour Films will release the film in France, with a release date to be set for later this year.
The English-language feature offers an outsider’s view of 2001 U.S. from the dry New Mexican desert – where the thrill of teenage self-discovery is confronted with the aftermath of 9/11.
The film introduces German actor Naomi Cosma in a breakout performance, alongside a cast of young American non-pros Rivilis discovered locally in New Mexico. Road Movies, Wim Wenders’ Berlin-based production outfit, leads the international co-production between Germany, Switzerland and the U.S.
The film is set in 2001, when Franny, a 16-year-old exchange student from Germany, arrives in the sleepy desert town of Las Cruces, New Mexico. Far from home, Franny struggles through awkward school days, stifling heat, and restless nights until she meets Elliott, a boy whose quiet sadness mirrors her own. As America reels from 9/11, something resonates within Franny and an unexpected tenderness begins to bloom.
Rivilis studied acting at the University of Film and Television “Konrad Wolf” in Potsdam-Babelsberg and has since worked extensively in theater, film and television and both in Germany and internationally. She later studied film directing at the German Film and Television Academy Berlin (DFFB), where she directed the short films “Ariana Forever!” and “Day X.” Both films were selected for numerous international festivals and received multiple awards, with “Day X” earning a nomination for the Student Academy Awards in 2021. Her short film “Rondo” (2022) premiered at the 72nd Berlinale.
“I’ll Be Gone In June” is her debut feature film, inspired by her experience as an exchange student in New Mexico.
Wenders noted: “I have rarely produced films by other directors, let alone debut feature films. (Come to think of it, ‘Radio On’ by Chris Petit was the only other one, and that was in 1979!) But ‘I’ll Be Gone in June’ was an exception, from the very beginning, when Katharina Rivilis came to Road Movies with her script. Its quality, together with her successful short films, totally convinced us, Léa Germain and me. I’m extremely proud of the result actually, I was blown away, when I saw the first rough cut. The film was done with great care, certainly beautifully shot and the acting was impeccable, given that Katharina was working mainly with young non-actors. ‘I’ll Be Gone in June’ is graceful and poetic, yet done with remarkable precision. One could say that Katharina invented her own cinematic language, and that is exactly the kind of film that gives me hope for the future of cinema. At Road Movies and DCM, we are delighted that Cannes has recognized this outstanding debut film and gave it a place at Un Certain Regard, in the Official Selection of the festival. We are also thrilled to be working with Nour Films in France! Their long-lasting experience and commitment to auteur cinema make them the perfect partner for ‘I’ll Be Gone in June.’”
Patrick Sibourd, president of Nour Films, commented: “Katharina Rivilis’s striking debut ‘I’ll Be Gone in Jun’ transforms a story of exile, adolescent longing and disillusionment into a quietly political portrait of post-9/11 America, where the Bush-era climate of fear, suspicion and patriotic tension already seems to foreshadow the fractures of the Trump years. Anchored by the revelatory Naomi Cosma and by a filmmaking voice of rare precision, the film captures the silent moment when a life changes course and confirms Rivilis as a major new European talent whose work we would be proud to bring to French audiences.”
Rivilis said about the acquisition: “France has such a rich culture and profound love of cinema and so I am very excited that our film will be distributed there. I am extremely thankful to have found such a passionate and dedicated distributor in Nour Films and look forward to working together with them to bring ‘I’ll Be Gone in June’ to the French audiences.”
Luxbox is representing a rich, wide ranging slate of films selected in Cannes this year with a lineup that includes “Ashes” by Diego Luna (Official Selection in Special Screenings), “Red Rocks” by Bruno Dumont (Directors’ Fortnight Special Screening), “Double Freedom” by Lisandro Alonso (Directors’ Fortnight), “Six Months in a Pink and Blue Building “by Bruno Santamaria Razo (Critics’ Week, In Competition) and “For the Opponents” by Federico Luis (Official Short Film Competition) in addition to Rivilis’ “I’ll Be Gone in June.”
“I’ll Be Gone in June” is produced by Road Movies, Wolfskind Films and 8horses in association with Simbelle Productions and filmscience. Producers are Léa Germain and Wenders, alongside Clemens Köstlin and Rivilis, Andrea Kuehnel and Vincent Savino. Co-producers are Olga Lamontanara and Simon Jaquemet. Executive producers are Lauren Melinda, Helena Sardinha, Rafael Thomaseto, Neil Kopp and Anish Savjani. The film is supported by Hessen Film & Medien, Eurimages – Council of Europe, German Federal Film Board, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, Westdeutscher Rundfunk, Federal Office of Culture (FOC), Creative Europe MEDIA, German Federal Film Fund, New Mexico Film Office, ARRI International Support Program, and FOCAL Stage Pool Ernst Göhner Stiftung.
DCM snapped up German Distritbution rights before the festival.
