Top 100 Most Anticipated Foreign Films of 2017: # 81. Sebastian Lelio’s A Fantastic Woman & Disobedience

A Fantastic Woman & Disobedience

Director: Sebastian Lelio
Writer: Sebastian Lelio & Gonzalo Maza (A Fantastic Woman) – Sebastian Lelio & Rebecca Lenkiewicz (Disobedience)

Since premiering his effervescent 2013 title Gloria, Chile’s Sebastian Lelio has been absent. He’ll make up for it in 2017 by possibly releasing two new features. First up, is A Fantastic Woman, which finished filming in early 2016, starring newcomer Daniela Vegas as a woman whose life suddenly changed when her older boyfriend dies.

This winter, Lelio begins his long-gestating English language debut Disobedience, based on the novel by Naomi Alderman which concerns a New York woman who returns to London following the death of her estranged father, a rabbi. Her presence causes quite a stir in the quiet community, particularly when she shows interests in rekindling contact with a childhood friend. Rachel Weisz has been attached to the project for some time, also serving as a producer.

Cast: Daniela Vega, Francisco Reyes, Luis Gnecco, Aline Küppenheim, Amparo Noguera (A Fantastic Woman)

Rachel Weisz, Rachel McAdams, Alessandro Nivola (Disobedience)

Production Co./Producer(s): Fabula (Pablo and Juan de Dios Larrain, Komplizen Film (Janine Jackowski, Jonas Dombach), Participant (Jeff Skoll, Jonathan King) (A Fantastic Woman) – Braven Films, Element Pictures (Rachel Weisz, Ed Guiney), Film 4 (Disobedience).

U.S. Distributor: Rights available (both).

Release Date: Lelio returns to compete in the Berlin International Film Festival this February with A Fantastic Woman. But Disobedience is scheduled to lens in London this winter, and unless it is held for 2018, could be a prestige picture this fourth quarter on the fall festival circuit (where it would most assuredly appear at TIFF if ready).

[related]Most Anticipated Foreign Films of 2017[/related]