Paris-based sales agency and production company Luxbox has acquired the rights to “Pornomelancholia”, the latest feature documentary from award-winning director Manuel Abramovich.

“Pornomelancholia” follows Lalo, a sex influencer living in a mountainous region in southern Mexico. On screen, Lalo is charismatic, posting nude photos of himself and homemade porn videos seen by thousands of followers. When the camera is off, Lalo drifts through life in a constant state of melancholy.

When a person’s sex life is commodified and sold off, what happens to desire? Using pornography as a starting point, the film examines the sex work industry, the consequences of publicly showing her private life, and how we create the characters we present to the world.

According to Abramovich, the film is a reflection on “the limits of intimacy at a time when everyday life and subjectivity have become a spectacle for the gaze of others”.

An ambitious four-country co-production, “Pornomelancholia” is produced by Gema Juárez Allen of Gema Films in Argentina and co-produced by Rachel Daisy Ellis at Desvia Filmes in Brazil, David Hurst of Dublin Films in France and Martha Orozco of Martfilms in Mexico. Luxbox co-CEOs Fiorella Moretti and Hédi Zardi will represent the film on the global market.

“We have long admired the work of Fiorella and Hedi, their exquisite taste and the fact that unique, singular and stimulating films inspire them,” said Juarez Allen of the collaboration. “It’s a tough time for the market – and for the industry as a whole – and we know we couldn’t be in better hands.”

“We are extremely impressed with this artistic achievement, masterfully produced by two great Latin American producers who were not afraid to release this bold proposal,” said Zardi. “The world belongs to those who dare.

Abramovich, winner of the 2019 Berlinale Silver Bear for “Blue Boy,” attended both the San Sebastian WIP Latam and Guadalajara Contstruye sideboards with the film this year, creating a buzz that culminates with the acquisition of Luxbox.

“We knew that we had in our hands a strong and very unique film with enormous potential. WIP screenings in San Sebastian and Guadalajara revealed that the industry was ready to receive it with open arms. It was wonderful to receive such great feedback from festival programmers, distributors, sales reps and filmmakers, ”said Juárez Allen of the ongoing film screening experiences in Spain and Mexico.