French genre specialists La Fabrica Nocturna Cinéma (“The Heiresses”) and Basque indie label Sayaka Producciones (“70 Big Ones”) have joined previously announced producers Sr. & Sra. – an up-and-coming San Sebastian-based production house owned by Moreno and producer-director Leire Apellániz – on director Pablo Hernando’s (“Berserker”) genre thriller “One Whale.”
Madrid-based Latido Films has also signed on as international sales agent for the buzzy new project.
Early announced casting includes Spanish Academy Goya-nominated actors Ingrid García-Jonsson (“Beautiful Youth,” “My Heart Goes Boom!”) and Eneko Sagardoy (“Giant,” “Errementari”), two of the most exciting and busiest rising stars in Spanish cinema.
“One Whale” follows Ingrid, a crack assassin known for her ability to get out of even the most seemingly hopeless situations. How she manages to always escape is a secret she guards closely. Utilizing a power with origins from another world, inhabited by monstrous creatures, Ingrid always escapes without a trace. However, the power extracts a toll, and each time she emerges from that dark place, she does so a bit less human than she once was.
Eventually, Ingrid’s profile reaches such a level that she is contracted for a seemingly impossible hit. A local smuggler named Melville hires her to eliminate Abasolo, an encroaching kingpin who looks to take over the docks where Melville does his trafficking. With an army of guards and the most high-tech security system money can buy, Abasolo’s home is a fortress.
However, when Melville accidentally stumbles on Ingrid’s secret, his priorities change as he decides he’d rather have her powers as his own and be able to deal with any future problems himself. The gangster sets a trap for Ingrid, who finds herself cornered like a caged animal, forced to fight for her life or be trapped in darkness forever.
“‘One Whale’ gives us the opportunity to work with a director who has already demonstrated his unique talent with ‘Berseker’ and a production company that is adept at allowing these original voices to grow,” Latido’s Oscar Alonso explained to Variety. “The mixture of fantasy, a leading character like none before, and a visual power to portray the port depths made this project irresistible.”
“Pablo is an alchemist, and ‘One Whale’ has its finger firmly on the pulse of what he does with his scripts and how he adapts them to the big screen, inviting us to travel the fantastic worlds he creates,” said Señor y Señora’s Leire Apellaniz. “His is a script that blends the genres of noir, science fiction and experimental cinema and he operates in a place where iSr. & Sra. is most comfortable. For this, and for our admiration of Pablo’s talent, we’re thrilled to produce this singular film.”
La Fabrica Nocturna Cinéma’s Marina Perales Marhuenda and Xavier Rocher added: “‘One Whale’ plunges us into a dark and liquid world, where the surface hides unknown mysteries. We are looking at a film which respects the rules of the genre, but is also free and daring.”
They added: “We were captivated by this mixture of thriller and fantasy and at the same time surprised by the originality of the theme and Pablo’s direction. He’s surely one of the most unique voices of the new wave of Spanish cinema and we are thrilled to be a part of this ambitious film.”
Additional support for “One Whale” is provided by Spain’s public film agency ICAA. As a project, the film also received production aid from the Basque Government and Basque public broadcaster ETB.
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