EXCLUSIVE: Stefano Savona’s Samouni Road mixes live action and animation.

Doc&Film International will handle international sales for Samouni Road, a Gaza-set hybrid docu-drama with animation, to be directed by Stefano Savona.

The new project, which is the only one selected from Italy at this year’s Berlinale Co-Production Market, will see Savona’s French-based production outfit Picofilms being reunited with Rome-based Dugong after they worked together on the director’s award-winning documentary Tahrir Liberation Square in 2011.

Samouni Road is the true story of the Samouni family who survived almost 60 years of war and military occupation on their family land in Gaza until 29 members were killed during the Israeli  military ground offensive in 2009.

According to Savona, the animated world being created by lead animator Simone Massi  and his team will make up around half of the film 

Jour2Fete is already in place as the French theatrical distributor for the project which is in Berlin at the Co-Production Market looking for a co-production partner - especially from Germany, Switzerland, the US or Middle East - as well as international broadcasters and further financing to close the budget.