Indian indie feature Love You Messi is gaining international momentum after attaching U.K.-based Hong Kong creative Hiu Man Chan as executive producer during co-production meetings at the Cannes Film Market.
Produced by Rura Rura Entertainment, the Karbi-language film is set in a remote village in Northeast India and follows eight-year-old Rang, a disabled boy from the Karbi tribe whose world revolves around football and his idol, Lionel Messi. Alongside his loyal dog Tung Tung, Rang embarks on a life-changing journey after learning Messi will play a friendly match in Mumbai.
Director Nath explained that the story goes far beyond football fandom.
“If you think ‘Love You Messi’ is a film about football [soccer] or about Lionel Messi, then you are mistaken,” Nath tells Variety. “It is not really about football, nor is it about Messi alone. At its heart, the film is about a disabled child’s passion and his longing to discover a world far beyond the boundaries of his small village. It is a story about love, care, humanity, and the courage to chase a dream against all odds.”
Chan will oversee the project’s international packaging, including sales, festival strategy, distribution and marketing outside India through the U.K.
“Hong Kong, my hometown, has a huge number of Messi fans, despite his absence during his tour to the special region,” Chan says. “This film will appeal to the city, where it has an immediate concentrated audience. Being a Messi fan myself, it’s a real joy to be able to join this project and serve as an executive producer. I hope my European network and dynamic approach to the international market can help this project to reach the furthest it could.”
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