Producer and director Chelo Loureiro knew Isabel Herguera from her dozen admired short films. When Herguera began developing the film almost fifteen years ago, she initially envisioned a documentary, inspired by a book she discovered on one of her trips to India. “Sultana’s Dream” is a 1905 book by Bengali author Rokeya Hossain, depicting a feminist utopia in the imaginary country of Ladyland, where power roles are reversed and women are the dominant sex. This remarkable origin took nearly 15 years to reach the San Sebastián Festival and now Annecy.

Written by Herguera and Gianmarco Serra, the film is not just an adaptation of the book but a reflection on it, exploring both Eastern and Western feminism and the creative process itself. The use of various sophisticated techniques and a sense of humor makes the final result unique.

The production was eventually led by Abano, with El Gato Verde and Uniko also taking part, in co-production with the German company Fabian & Fred.

The origins of this film date back almost 15 years. Experimental animation often fits better in short formats rather than feature-length films, resulting in a lengthy financial process. However, this extended timeline may have contributed to better project development, given its dedicated and committed nature.

Loureiro recalls that from the outset, they found many private sponsors, though their contributions were very small. She notes that the process took so long that some international co-producers had to withdraw from the project. “Fortunately, when the ‘Me Too’ movement gained momentum, receptivity increased,” says the producer.

The film went through Cartoon Movie and eventually received support from the ICAA and public television channels (RTVE, EiTB, ZDF Arte), with participation from Movistar+ and Filmin. The final budget reached €3 million euros, which was sufficient due to the long process and the artisanal approach to production. The Dutch company Square Eyes handles international sales.