Ecuadorian Queer Drama ‘Princess’ Swooped On by MMM Film Sales Ahead of Tallinn
Paris-based MMM Film Sales has acquired international rights to Ecuadorian director Christian Rojas’ debut feature, “Princess” (“Ñusta”), ahead of its world premiere at Tallinn Black Nights. The film follows a 12-year-old Indigenous girl in the Andes who wants to be chosen as her community’s festival princess while navigating her gender identity and transition.
The story connects Kallpa’s search for identity with her Indigenous roots and Andean worldview. The film is in Tallinn’s First Feature Competition and was made by Ecuador’s Epopeya and Oso Rojo Films with co-producers from Peru, Argentina, Mexico and Bolivia. Rojas says it is not about one specific Indigenous community; the filmmakers worked with the Sid Sid Anejo community in Cañar, where it was filmed.
In short
- MMM Film Sales acquired international rights to “Princess”.
- The film follows a 12-year-old Indigenous girl exploring her gender identity.
- Its world premiere is at Tallinn Black Nights.
Explained simply
In some Andean communities, festivals honour a young person chosen as a princess, a role linked to local customs and ideas of belonging. Ecuador is home to many Indigenous peoples, whose communities have distinct traditions and ways of understanding identity.
“Princess” follows Kallpa, an Indigenous girl in the Andes, as she seeks the festival role while exploring her gender identity and transition. The story brings those experiences together with her roots and worldview; it was filmed with the Sid Sid Anejo community in Cañar, though its director says it does not represent one specific Indigenous community.
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