Film Movement has picked up North American rights to Mahamat-Saleh Haroun’s 2013 Cannes Competition entry Grigris, where it won the Vulcan Award for technical achievement. 

The film, which received mixed reviews after its Cannes premiere, centers on Grisgris, a 25 year old young man with dreams of becoming a dancer despite the fact that he’s paralyzed from the waist down. His dreams are shattered when his uncle falls seriously ill. To save him, he decides to go work for petrol traffickers.

It stars Soulémane Démé, Mariam Monory, Cyril Guei, Anaïs Monory and Marius Yelolo (who’s worked with Haroun on at least 2 other past films).

Grisgris is produced by Florence Stern for Pili Films, with Chad’s Goï Goï Productions and Frances 3 Cinéma.

Film Movement is aiming to release the film during the first half of 2014, in a limited opening, which will be followed by a national expansion.

The acquisition of was negotiated by Film Movement’s Adley Gartenstein and Rebeca Conget, along with Agathe Valentin, head of international sales at Les Films du Losange.

“It is an honor to be the distributor now of two films by Haroun-Saleh, who with each of his features establishes himself deeper as not only one of the most respected voices in African cinema today, but also as one of the top international auteurs working in contemporary cinema, period,” said Conget. 

Film Movement also released Haroun’s last film, Un Homme Qui Crie (A Screaming Man), in 2012.