MPM Premium Acquires International Rights to Néstor Cantillana, Blanca Lewin-Fronted Thriller ‘A Yard of Jackals’ From Chilean Director Diego Figueroa (EXCLUSIVE)

Paris-based MPM Premium has secured international rights to Chilean editor turned writer-director Diego Figueroa’s maniacal psychological thriller, “A Yard of Jackals” (“Patio de chacales”), starring acclaimed Chilean actors Néstor Cantillana and Blanca Lewin, whose chemistry was cemented when they featured in Pablo Larraín & Jonathan Jakubowicz HBO Series “Fugitives” (“Prófugos”). 

Produced by Alejandro Ugarte at Santiago-based Infractor, which co-produced Malaga-winning title “Perro Bomba” alongside Chile’s Pejeperro Films and France’s Promenades Films, the film is set to add to the substantial catalog of Latin American fare backed by the sales outfit.

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“We value MPM Premium’s reputation for excellence and diversity, and we believe that ‘A Yard of Jackals’ will further enrich their portfolio of films, offering a unique and exciting cinematic experience for viewers around the world,” Ugarte stated. 

The film marks the debut feature for Figueroa and fleshes out the story arc of his short film, “Los Vecinos,” framing the life of the humble and meek Raúl, who cares for his ailing mother while carving out time to craft architectural models. When a set of tortuous toughs relocate to the neighborhood, his temperament shifts and the scenes increasingly unravel the inner workings of his shaken psyche.

“Diego Figueroa renews the genre of crime and mystery thrillers common in Chilean cinema by focusing on an ordinary character that feels very close to the audience. In the film, Raúl questions the terror that progressively expands and, while the danger grows, we advance with him into a terrifying truth that tests his deepest humanity,” Quentin Worthington, head of sales and acquisitions for MPM Premium, told Variety. “We strongly believe that this gripping psychological thriller, which is perfectly paced, tense and captures the essence of what makes us human in front of pure terror, will translate to international audiences,” he added.

“A Yard of Jackals” teased a WIP version of the project to audiences and buyers at Sanfic Industria’s prestige Works In Progress strand, sweeping its 12th annual awards ceremony while whipping up industry buzz, before participating in the IAFFM and Malaga’s Mafiz.

“I’m very pleased with the result of the film. I think it’s grown enormously from its WIP stage,” Figueroa told Variety. “One of the elements we meticulously worked on was the sound design. An intense soundtrack was produced that supports the narrative and the emotional weight of the story. Another essential aspect is the visual identity of colors and textures the film has, which was enhanced with the meticulous work of VFX and color correction.” 

“A series of complicated and arduous processes have left us with a spectacular result that at the same time doesn’t draw attention to itself, it’s at the disposal of the story, so ‘A Yard of Jackals’ is the immersive experience that we always had in mind-that’s ready to capture the viewer and not let go,” he added.

The mounting strain of Raúl’s predicament unfolds aside broader regional despair. It’s 1978, and the Pinochet regime looms outside the plot’s core to set a ruthless tone, never becoming the focal point.

“My intention was never to make a detailed historical breakdown of the dictatorship, but rather to capture the feeling of horror and dread that filled me when researching events that served as the basis for the story,” Figueroa explained. 

“What was repeated in the testimonies about the first stage of the dictatorship is that there wasn’t much talk about what was happening, but danger could be felt around every corner. For me the main thing isn’t to provide answers, but to generate a space for internal reflection in the spectators,” he said.

With a deep understanding of honing in on the dynamics of Raúl’s increasingly claustrophobic surroundings, Figueroa creates a rich and intense familiarity, the disturbing and vivid portrait of the protagonist as his sanity unfurls makes for mind-bending fare.

“My main goal is to place the viewer in the mind of the protagonist. To make the fiction go beyond the screen and move from the eyes to the mind. For me, that’s the main power of cinema-more than telling stories, it allows you to live them.” Figueroa relayed. “The dominance of space is something that’s always caught my attention. A wall alone isn’t enough to create intimacy, privacy. Even now with all the technology that’s constantly in our pockets, we’re never alone. Because of this, there’s a constant feeling of paranoia that we can all relate to. In reality, the situation that most of us live in is different from Raúl’s, but I think it’s a fear that we share, discovering that there are no safe spaces, feeling surrounded by a presence that we can’t see.”

Grimanesa Jimenez, Consuelo Holzapfel, Maria Jesus Marcone and Juan Cano – with voiceovers from Pablo Schwarz and Rodrigo Perez –round out the cast of the project that’s set for a Chilean theatrical run on Jan. 23 via Storyboard Media.