EXCLUSIVE: Flying Hands, a documentary film about one family’s fight to provide education and establish equal rights for deaf children in the remote Pakistan-administered Baltisan region, has been nabbed by several broadcasters.
The World channel has snagged it for the U.S. Other buyers include NPO in the Netherlands, DW in Germany and TV3 Catalunya.
Flying Hands tells the story Aniqa Bano and her daughter, who is born deaf but later enters the hearing world after an operation. Bano and her husband open a school for deaf children.
From writer-director duo Marta Gómez and Paula Iglesias, the film has had a solid festival run after its world premiere at Hot Docs last year. It has garnered several accolades including Best Documentary Feature at the London Women Film Festival and Paris Women Cinefest.
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Set in Baltistan, a mountainous region in the Pakistani-administered territory of Gilgit-Baltistan, the film open with Bano relaying a story of meeting a father who did not even know what his deaf daughter was called: “Deaf children were never given a name,” she says in the voiceover. “They were named after their disability.”
Bano, however, gives her deaf daughter a name, Narjis. “I fought for her so that she would have an identity,” she explains. She goes on to establish a boarding school for deaf children and the film follows her, her husband, and Narjis as they run the school and attempt to persuade parents their deaf children deserve an education.
Flying Hands is produced by Al Borde Films and Labografías Nodos de Expresión. In the U.S. it will launch on Mother’s Day, May 11.
Boutique distributor Limonero Films is handling sales and has cut the international deals. Speaking about the U.S. deal, Limonero CEO and Founder Pamela Martinez Martinez said: “We have worked closely with the filmmakers on its festival and sales strategy, which has seen the film premiering at Hot Docs, followed by many other festivals and TV sales.”
Speaking about the World channel deal, she added: “The US release, on Mother´s Day is such a proud moment for the whole team. We can’t wait for the American audience to enjoy this beautiful story of family and resilience.”