THINKFilm has acquired all North American rights to JonathanDemme's The Agronomist,a documentary profile of the assassinated Haitian journalist and national heroJean Dominique that receives its world premiere in Venice and North Americanpremiere in Toronto.

The film will open in the US in 2004 and charts Dominique's careeras operator of the country's only free radio station, his exile in New Yorkduring the 1990s and subsequent return to Haiti, where he was murdered in 2000.

The deal was negotiated on behalf of THINKFilm by head ofdistribution Mark Urman, company president and chief executive officer JeffSackman and senior vice president of acquisitions and business affairs RandyManis. Bart Walker of ICM represented the film-makers.

"Only a master director like Jonathan Demme could so skilfullymarry one man's life story to the history of a nation," Urman said in astatement.

"Not since the early works of Costa-Gavras have I seen such athrilling blend of personal and political drama or such a rousing andinspirational anthem of freedom, heroism, and undaunted courage."

"I've been a huge Mark Urman fan for quite some time and haveobserved and admired what he and his colleagues at THINKFilm have done," Demme,whose documentary credits include Swimming To Cambodia and Stop Making Sense, added.

THINKFilm's upcoming releases include Brazilian documentary Bus174, which will alsoscreen at Toronto, and its first production, Thom Fitzgerald's relationshipdrama The Event,which stars Parker Posey and Sarah Polley.

Demme is due to begin filming the remake of Richard Condon'sclassic thriller The Manchurian Candidate in September with Denzel Washington and Meryl Streep.