Drafthouse Films Acquires Cannes Entry ‘Borgman’ for U.S. Distribution
Fresh off of its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, “Borgman” has been picked up for U.S. distribution by Drafthouse Films. The distribution wing of the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Austin announced earlier today that it has acquired the Dutch thriller and is planning a U.S. theatrical and VOD/digital release for 2014.
“Maybe once a year, I am deluged after a premiere with texts and emails to the effect of ‘this is such a Drafthouse movie,'” says Drafthouse Films founder and CEO Tim League, “its strange, disturbing, hysterical and utterly unique. ‘Borgman’ is THE quintessential Drafthouse film of Cannes. We can’t wait to share it with audiences in North America.”
The film follows the title character, a mysterious bedraggled wanderer who arrives at the house of an upper-class family asking for a bath. The intensity escalates as Borgman is taken in by them and begins aggressively inserting himself into their lives. The film’s darkly comic and off-kilter tone has caused many to bring up “Funny Games” and “Dogtooth” as comparisons. Its showcase in the Competition at Cannes this year marked the first time in nearly 40 years that a Dutch film had competed at the festival.
