‘The Things You Kill’ _(EXCLUSIVE)
Best Friend Forever Acquires Alireza Khatami’s Thriller

By Leo Barraclough, Elsa Keslassy, Variety.com
May 14, 2024

Brussels-based company Best Friend Forever has acquired international rights of Alireza Khatami’s “The Things You Kill.” The film is in post-production.

“Building on his previous triumphs in Venice and Cannes, Alireza Khatami’s latest film, ‘The Things You Kill,’ catapults his artistry to new heights. He weaves a timely, gripping narrative that elevates the psychological thriller genre to explore deep social and political issues, offering viewers a chilling yet enlightening cinematic experience.”

Khatami is already known for Cannes 2023 Un Certain Regard title “Terrestrial Verses” and “Oblivion Verses,” which was awarded best screenplay in Venice Horizons competition 2017 and won the Fipresci Prize.

Le Pacte will release “The Things You Kill” in France.


The Things You Kill ; Courtesy of Best Friend Forever

In the film, Ali, a university professor, is haunted by the suspicious death of his ailing mother, and coerces his enigmatic gardener to execute a cold-blooded act of vengeance. As long-buried family secrets resurface, the police tighten their noose, and doubts begin eroding his conscience, Ali has no choice but to look into the abyss of his own soul.

Khatami said: “‘The Things You Kill’ captures the pulse of my generation as we grapple with our fathers’ profound mistakes. Set against the volatile backdrop of the Middle East, the film is a personal and collective journey to break free from a legacy of violence — a journey that demands we take a brutally honest look at ourselves.” He shares that shooting the film in Turkey was essential, as he needed to reconnect with his roots, given that he hails from the indigenous Khamse tribe, who speak a Turkic dialect. “This is my boldest film yet, both artistically and personally, as I revealed myself in ways I had never done before. I pushed myself into new territory, unknown to me until now.”

The star-studded Turkish cast includes Ekin Koç (“Burning Days”), Hazar Ergüçlü (“The Wild Pear Tree”), Erkan Kolçakköstendil and Ercan Kesal (“Once Upon a Time in Anatolia”).



“We couldn’t be more thrilled to handle Alireza’s new film,” said Martin Gondre and Charles Bin, co-founders of Best Friend Forever. “Building on his previous triumphs in Venice and Cannes, Alireza’s latest film, ‘The Things You Kill,’ catapults his artistry to new heights. He weaves a timely, gripping narrative that elevates the psychological thriller genre to explore deep social and political issues, offering viewers a chilling yet enlightening cinematic experience.“

The film is produced by Elisa Sepulveda-Ruddoff at Fulgurance (France), Cyriac Auriol at Remora Films (France), Mariusz W³odarski at Lava Films (Poland) and Alireza Khatami at Tell Tall Tale (Canada) and Michael Solomon at Band With Pictures (Canada), co-produced by Marta Gmosiñska and Ekin Koç with Cenk Ünalerzen at Sineaktif (Turkey). Naomi Despres and Michèle Marshall for Desmar, along with Ercan Kesal serve as executive producers.

The project was supported by Eurimages, Polish Film Institute, Telefilm Canada, Ile-de-France Region, Arte Cofinova, World Cinema Fund Europe and Torino Feature Lab.

Best Friend Forever’s Cannes lineup is headlined by Directors’ Fortnight title “Universal Language” by Matthew Rankin, Berlinale Competition entry “Shambhala” by Min Bahadur Bham and Panorama selection “The Visitor” by Queer icon Bruce LaBruce. Recent titles include Cannes competition title and Toronto entry “Banel & Adama” by Ramata-Toulaye Sy, Venice Horizons best actor award winner and Toronto entry “City of Wind” by Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir, and Directors’ Fortnight thriller “The Other Laurens” by Claude Schmitz.