Filmax has picked up international rights to the latest work by sibling filmmakers Carol and Marina Rodríguez Colás, “Bros,” a dramedy about three 15-year-old working-class boys coming of age in the outskirts of Barcelona.
“Bros” follows the Rodríguez Colás sisters’ acclaimed 2021 hit, “Girlfriends,” about a woman returning to the neighborhood she grew up in, likewise on the outskirts of Barcelona. Having also grown up in a similar neighborhood near the Catalonian capital, it’s an environment the sisters know well.
Their new work centers on young people leaving their home turf for the first time and coming face to face with a social space that, while promising opportunities, also imposes invisible barriers.
“Bros” follows three close friends, Ayman, Eric and Rober, played by newcomers Badr Oubahassou, Omar Mills and Pau Márquez, who grew up together in the same neighborhood. Despite different family backgrounds – Moroccan, Dominican and Andalusian – they share the same reality: they live in a neighborhood that embraces them, but which also seems to set limits to their aspirations.
Their friendship is put to the test when Ayman meets Sara, the daughter of a wealthy family, for whom his mother works as a maid. When Sara invites him to a party in the posh part of town, it represents a chance for the friends to delve into a fascinating and unknown world that all three of them dream of conquering.
“After the success of ‘Girlfriends,’ which received, among other accolades, the Málaga Film Festival’s Audience Award and nominations at the Goya and Feroz Awards, the Rodríguez Colás sisters have firmly positioned themselves as two of the most relevant voices in Spanish independent cinema,” Filmax said.
“Bros” is a dramedy that explores adolescence and the impact of “social barriers, classism and racism, all of which continue to shape the way we form relationships in today’s society.
“The film offers an honest and direct take on friendship as both a refuge and the driving force of resistance against structural inequalities, tackling sensitive subjects such as identity, being proud of our roots and the limits between what we desire and what’s within our possibilities to achieve,” the sales company noted.
By employing first-time actors, born in Catalonia and from immigrant families, the film “shows a clear commitment to authenticity and realism and reinforces the emotional power of the story,” Filmax added.
“Fresh, lively, and deeply relatable, ‘Bros’ captures the kind of characters you instantly connect with, echoing the charm that made ‘Girlfriends’ and ‘Tapas’ such audience favorites,” said Ivan Diaz, Filmax’ head of international. “By the end, you’ll feel like one of their friends, hanging out, swapping jokes, riding scooters, and killing time together in the park.”
Filmax will be showing the first images of the film to international buyers during the Spanish Screenings at the Málaga Film Festival. The film will also have a market screening at Málaga’s Multicines Rosaleda.
“Bros” is produced by Fasten Films, one of Barcelona’s top production companies, behind Marcel Barrena’s “Mediterraneo,” the standout docuseries “Nisman: the Prosecutor, the President and the Spy,” and a co-producer on Cannes Camera d’Or winner “Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell.” It is co-produced with fellow Spanish company Cobalt Films, Belgium’s Saga Film and Marth Films in Mexico.
“After seeing ‘Girlfriends,’ we really wanted to produce Carol and Marina R. Colás’ second film,” said Fasten Films producer Adrià Monés. “‘Bros’ has the same fresh vision, as it so beautifully portrays the life of three teenage boys, Ayman, Rober and Eric, on their journey to a party in upscale Barcelona.
“With this film, we are delighted to be able to present to the world these three, young actors, who have a brilliant career ahead of them. Wanting something isn’t always enough, but in their case, it seems like it is.”
“Bros” was produced with the support of ICAA; ICEC; Creative Europe Media; the Ibermedia Program; the city of L’Hospitalet de Llobregat; and the participation of Movistar Plus+, Proximus, Be TV and Orange Belgium and BNP Paribas Fortis Film Finance. International co-producers also include Muy Buena Films and Estudios Churubusco Azteca.
The film participated in the Final Cut program at Barcelona’s D’A Film Festival and in WIP Latino at the Guadalajara Film Festival.
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