The Weinstein Company Acquires Fall-of-Gaddafi Political Doc THE OATH OF TOBRUK

NEW YORK, May 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Weinstein Company (TWC) announced today that they have acquired U.S. rights to political documentary THE OATH OF TOBRUK. The film, directed by renowned French philosopher, journalist and filmmaker Bernard-Henri Levy, was made over the eight-month period of conflict that put an end to Muammar Gaddafi's reign in Libya. Levy documented the unfolding of the war and the spontaneous popular revolt that became a revolution through the efforts of the Libyan people in their country and in major cities including Paris, London and New York. The course of action taken by the Libyan people that was revealed in THE OATH OF TOBRUK exemplifies how ideas and convictions can change the course of history in the form of a political and humanitarian intervention that had otherwise seemed impossible. The announcement was made today by TWC Co-Chairman Harvey Weinstein, who fully supports the film and sees this acquisition as a political action that could provide hope for other countries in a similar state of peril including Syria.

On Friday, May 25, the Cannes Film Festival will present a special showing of the film, which is an Official Selection of the festival. Four key figures of the Libyan revolution, who have been invited by Levy, will attend the screening to dedicate their achievement in Libya to their Syrian friends.

Said Levy, "For me, Harvey Weinstein is not simply THE ARTIST. He is the producer who helped launch Amnesty International in the United States; the man who fought capital punishment with the weapon of cinema; and the one who defended Roman Polanski in the face of those who wished to lynch him. This Weinstein, I am happy to learn, is joining Studio 37 in the adventure of THE OATH OF TOBRUK."

Said Weinstein, "This wonderful movie shows BHL's incredible courage and the strength of former French president Nicolas Sarkozy, and also highlights the invaluable leadership from President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. American audiences will get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of how our government and the French government worked together to stop the slaughter of innocent civilians and brilliantly handled the overthrow of a government."

The film was produced by Studio 37, a financier of Academy Award© Best Picture winner THE ARTIST, Margo Cinema and Arte. Rezo is currently selling remaining territories.

ABOUT THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY

The Weinstein Company (TWC) is a multimedia production and distribution company launched in October 2005 by Bob and Harvey Weinstein, the brothers who founded Miramax Films in 1979. TWC also encompasses Dimension Films, the genre label founded in 1993 by Bob Weinstein, which has released such popular franchises as SCREAM, SPY KIDS and SCARY MOVIE. Together TWC and Dimension Films have released a broad range of mainstream, genre and specialty films that have been commercial and critical successes.  TWC releases took home eight 2012 Academy Awards^®, the most wins in the studio's history. The tally included Best Picture for Michel Hazanavicius's THE ARTIST and Best Documentary Feature for TJ Martin and Dan Lindsay's UNDEFEATED. THE ARTIST brought TWC its second consecutive Best Picture statuette following the 2011 win for Tom Hooper's THE KING'S SPEECH.

Since 2005, TWC and Dimension Films have released such films as GRINDHOUSE; I'M NOT THERE; THE GREAT DEBATERS; VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA; THE READER; THE ROAD; HALLOWEEN; THE PAT TILLMAN STORY; PIRANHA 3D; INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS; A SINGLE MAN; BLUE VALENTINE; THE COMPANY MEN; MIRAL; SCRE4M; SUBMARINE; DIRTY GIRL; APOLLO 18; OUR IDIOT BROTHER; I DON'T KNOW HOW SHE DOES IT; SARAH'S KEY; SPY KIDS: ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD IN 4D; MY WEEK WITH MARILYN; THE IRON LADY; and W.E. Currently in release are THE ARTIST; CORIOLANUS; UNDEFEATED; and BULLY. Upcoming releases include THE INTOUCHABLES. Recently wrapped was SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK, and currently in production is DJANGO UNCHAINED.

TWC is also active in television production, led by former Miramax Films President of Production and current President of Television Meryl Poster, with credits including the Emmy® nominated and Peabody Award winning reality series Project Runway, spin-off series Project Accessory and Project Runway All Stars, the VH1 reality series Mob Wives, and the critically acclaimed HBO comedy/crime series The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency which also received a Peabody Award. The company is currently in pre-production on the martial-arts epic Marco Polo for Starz as well as production on the second season of Mob Wives and the newest installment in the series' franchise Mob Wives Chicago. TWC additionally has 17 series in different stages of development, including The Nanny Diaries, being adapted for ABC by Amy Sherman Palladino (Gilmore Girls).

SOURCE The Weinstein Company