Argentine actor Joaquín Furriel is set to topline Rafa Russo’s next feature, “Devotion” (“Devoción”), which will be produced by Málaga-born producer-director Ezekiel Montes at his label 73140323PC.
Spanish actress Elena Martínez, who has starred in Gustavo Hernández’s “Lobo Feroz” and Montes’ admired feature debut “A Dead Man Cannot Live,” which premiered at the Málaga fest last year, will co-star in “Devotion.”
Furriel is mainly known for his star turn in Sebastián Schindel’s Guadalajara Actor, New Director double-winner “The Boss, Anatomy of a Crime” and “The Son” by the same director. He was also a standout in the HBO Latin America and Pol-Ka-produced TV show “The Bronze Garden,” recipient of five Telly Awards in 2018 and an international Emmy Awards nomination.
“Devotion” depicts the encounters between Fernando, a priest accused of murder, and Ruth, the woman who falls in love with him. Ruth’s defense and absolution of the priest becomes a personal crusade. Through several intimate rendezvous over a number of years, the real crime plot will unravel.
The feature is “a drama with some thriller elements in which the characters get emotionally undressed like Russian dolls and explore how far we are able to go to possess the person we love,” Russo explained to Variety.
A musician, scriptwriter and director, Russo began his film career as the scriptwriter for María Ripoll’s “The Man with Rain in His Shoes,” starring Penélope Cruz. As a director, “Devotion” will be Russo’s third feature after “Love in Self Defense” and “The Year of Fury.”
Principal photography is scheduled to start in Oct. this year in Málaga. Cine & Distrib. has secured Spanish distribution.
“For our company, it is very important to continue producing from Málaga, but with a clear international vocation,” said Montes, adding: “We continue betting on universal stories, and in this case, we are very happy to bring together Joaquín, Elena and Rafa in this project because they will secure a presence at international markets.”