Oscar-winning production company Fabula (“A Fantastic Woman”) and Venetian Critics’ Week Grand Prize winner Tana Gilbert (“Malqueridas”) are developing “Where is Narumi?”, a documentary series examining the 2016 murder of Japanese student Narumi Kurosaki by her ex-partner Nicolás Zepeda.

The project marks a collaboration between Gilbert and the Chilean production house founded by Pablo and Juan de Dios Larraín, which recently earned two 2024 Oscar nominations for “El Conde” (best cinematography) and “Eternal Memory” (best feature documentary footage). .

Gilbert, whose connection to the case comes from attending the same university as Zepeda, brings a personal perspective to the project. “As a woman and a storyteller, I feel a deep responsibility to help break down harmful narratives about women from the inside,” she explains. Drawing on his experience working with archival materials, Gilbert plans to examine the digital footprints left by Zepeda and Kurosaki, analyzing how “misogyny manifests in digital spaces and often leads to physical harm.”

Fabula, known for tackling pressing social issues, sees the project as an opportunity to examine the broader implications of gender-based violence. “‘Where is Narumi?’ presents itself as an urgent story, highlighting the media, legal and political phenomena it has triggered on three continents: America, Europe and Asia,” the company states.

The series aims to go beyond true crime conventions to examine what Fabula describes as the “mandate of masculinity” – the societal expectations that link manliness to control over women. Gilbert intends to focus on revealing the warning signs of attackers while questioning the media sensationalism that often makes society “complicit in its silence.”

Currently in development and expected to be completed writing by April 2025, production is expected to begin in the second half of 2025. As a Chilean-French co-production with significant ties to Japan, the team is bringing the project to Taiwan Creative Content Fest (TCCF) looking for funding and potential Japanese creative input.

The project brings together Fabula’s veteran production team, including Mariane Hartard, executive director of production for film and television, Sofía Libkind, head of creative development, and Rocío Jadue, who heads the Latin American cinema division of the company and previously produced the Oscar-winning film “A Fantastic Woman.”