“Grand Tour” comes after the successful international sales and distribution of Gomes’ critically acclaimed features “Tabu,” “Arabian Nights” and “The Tsugua Diaries” – all titles sold by The Match Factory .
“Grand Tour” kicks off in Rangoon, Burma, 1917. Edward, a civil servant for the British Empire, runs away from his fiancée Molly the day she arrives to get married. During his travels, however, panic gives way to melancholy. Contemplating the emptiness of his existence, the cowardly Edward wonders what has become of Molly... Yet Molly, determined to get married and amused by his move, follows his trail on this Asian grand tour.
The creative process for the film began with a research trip to various countries in Asia. Gomes and his team filmed the trip, making an archive of images and sounds. “Grand Tour” combines frames from that trip with film scenes shot in 16mm, creating a continuous cinematic time.
“Grand Tour” is produced by Uma Pedra No Sapato (Portugal) in co-production with Vivo Film (Italy), Shellac Sud (France) and Cinema Defacto (France), in association with The Match Factory (Germany), Rediance (China) and Creatps Inc. (Japan), and with the participation of ZDF/ARTE and RTP. Uma Pedra No Sapato is releasing the film in Portugal and Shellac in France.