In 1652, Spanish artist Diego Velázquez painted the portrait of Maria Theresa of Austria, Infanta of Spain. “Infanta” was a royal title given to the daughters of a monarch who were not the direct heir to the throne. A few weeks later, the painting reached the court of Louis XIV, who was still a child, sealing the union of the French and Spanish monarchies, as well as peace after the Thirty Years’ War.
The episode is the inspiration behind The Indies (Les Indes), the fiction feature debut of writers-directors Pauline Julier and Nicolas Chapoulier, which will world-premiere in the Venice Film Festival’s Giornate Degli Autori, or Venice Days, competition lineup on Sat, Sept. 5.
Théo Urtubey, Raphaël Thiéry and Lazare Minoungou star in the movie. “Alejandro, a young Spanish nobleman, is tasked with delivering the portrait of the Infanta of Spain to Louis XIV,” reads a synopsis for The Indies. “Fascinated by the promises of the New World, lands to be conquered and new trade routes to be opened, he is escorted by two French soldiers. As the portrait advances, the three men move deeper into a Europe ravaged by wars and uprisings. The journey to the French court is long and arduous, and the path back to civilization and the modern world emerging remains uncertain.”Sylvain Verdet was in charge of cinematography for The Indies, which Anita Roth edited. MoreThan Films is handling world sales.
