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BULADÓ is The Netherlands’ Oscars entry

Dutch feature Buladó joins the International Feature Film - Academy Award race.
Buladó is the second feature of director Eché Janga, who also penned the screenplay alongside Esther Duysker. Eché’s debut feature Helium (2014) world premiered at the Rotterdam International Film Festival and won two National Film Awards (Golden Calves).

Produced by Koji Nelissen and Derk-Jan Warrink of Amsterdam-based Keplerfilm, whose producing credits include award-winning films such as The Lobster (Yorgos Lanthimos), Bullhead (Michaël R. Roskam), Blind (Eskil Vogt) and Monos (Alejandro Landes), Buladóis an emotional family tale set in the countryside of Curaçao and rooted in the oral histories of local slaves.

The magic realism and captivating story of Buladó, follows eleven-year-old Kenza, who is determined to find her own path into adulthood mourning her mum and being torn between her agnostic father Ouira and her spiritual grandfather Weljo.

Synopsis:
Headstrong girl Kenza lives with her father Ouira and grandfather Weljo on a car wrecking yard in the countryside of Curaçao. The two men are opposites that don’t particularly attract: Ouira is a determined and rational police officer, while Weljo identifies with the original inhabitants and spirituality of the island. As Weljo wishes to prepare his passing to the world of spirits, the relationship between Ouira en Weljo starts to escalate and the eleven-year-old Kenza searches for her own path in-between the two extremes. The down-to-earth and avoidant mentality of Ouira no longer offers her all that she needs and slowly she opens up to the more mystical and comforting traditions of her grandfather.

Buladó is co-produced by national broadcaster NTR with support of the Netherlands Film Fund, the Netherlands Film Production Incentive and CoBo Fund.

Following the local festival premiere as the opening film of the Netherlands Film Festival (NFF - Nederlands Film Festival) in September and being awarded Best Film (Golden Calf) at the National Film Awards, Buladó is currently on domestic release by Gusto Entertainment and has already generated over 30.000 theatrical admissions despite the heavy cinema restrictions. Buladó will launch on Netflix early 2021 in the Benelux.

Berlin based PTI will launch its International Sales push at the virtual AFM.