World premiere Rafaël at the Netherlands Film Festival

RAFAËL, the new film by director Ben Sombogaart, has had its world premiere at the Netherlands Film Festival on Monday October 1st. The 38th edition of the film festival is held from 27 September to 5 October in Utrecht. The film, distributed by Paradiso Filmed Entertainment, will reach Dutch cinemas on October 11th.

The Arab Spring forces Tunisian Nazir, married to the pregnant Dutch Kimmy, to escape to Europe but he ends up in Lampedusa, imprisoned as an illegal refugee. RAFAËL is a romantic drama about two lovers giving everything they have, just to be reunited for the birth of their son Rafaël. It is a suspenseful story about borders, dreams, perseverance and love-transcending bureaucracy, borders and even prison walls.

RAFAËL is a film by director Ben Sombogaart (IN MY FATHER’S GARDEN, TWIN SISTERS). The film concept, inspired by a true story, is initiated and developed by creative producer Jelle Nesna and written by Tijs van Marle (LUCIA, MISTER TWISTER). Christine Otten wrote the book: Rafaël: a love story, alongside the screenwriting process of the film, published by Atlas Contact. The film is produced by Reinier Selen of Rinkel Film (ACCUSED, SÜSKIND, COOL KIDS DON’T CRY, BACKSLIDE), and international co-producers and Menuet (BE) Jaako Dobra Produkcija (HR), EO (NL). The international sales of the film will be organised by Intramovies.

RAFAËL is realised with support from the Netherlands Film Fund, Netherlands Film Production Incentive, CoBO Fund, Oneplanetcrowd, The Croatian Production Incentive Programme, The Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF), Film Recognised of National Cultural Interest with Financial Contribution from the DG Cinema MIBACT – Ministry for Heritage and Cultural Activities and Tourism, The Belgian Federal Government’s Tax Shelter Programme Casa Kafka Pictures Movie Tax Shelter empowered by Belfius, EO, The Creative Europe Programme – MEDIA of the European Union, and Church Development Service by Bread for the World – Protestant Development Service.