“Nature – The Call for Reconciliation,” the latest event documentary by world-renowned French photographer, documentary filmmaker and activist Yann Arthus-Bertrand (“Legacy,” “Home,” “Human”), has been snapped by ZDF for Germany and Ceska TV for the Czech Republic.
The broadcasting deals were revealed in exclusivity to Variety on Monday by global distributor Federation International, as 150 world buyers were heading off to this week’s Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Le Havre, the world’s largest dedicated market for French audiovisual content.
Served as a two-part 52-minute series and 105 minute film, the environmental documentary produced by Arthus-Bertrand’s own outfit Hope Productions, was originally commissioned by French broadcaster M6, which launched it domestically in February.
The film is the legendary French aerial photographer’s third grand-scale filmic love letter to planet Earth and the need to protect it after “Home” (2009) and “Legacy” (2021), which delivered a more personal and urgent call to action. Latter pic narrated by Sting in its English-language version scooped the coveted Unifrance Export Award in 2022 and sold to more than 70 territories, with Prime Video picking up the U.S., the U.K. and second window rights in France.
“Nature – the Call for Reconciliation” is what Arthus-Bertrand calls his “most personal and challenging film to date.” The pic traces the history of life, from its cosmic origins to its evolution and contemporary challenges. Through awe-inspiring visuals and a narration from the filmmaker combining poetry, science and emotions, the film explores the paradoxes of our time. At the same time, it carries a strong message of hope in people’s ability to reconcile with nature.
Sharing with Variety his thoughts on his film and the state of the planet, Arthus-Bertrand said: “I think we’re losing the fight against climate change today. I see every day how complicated it is to do without fossil fuels in our lives. We live in a world where oil is everywhere, and growth is essential to keep the world going as it is. So, being heard and offering a reflection on this is challenging because, humbly-speaking, I don’t have the solution. And when I talk about what seems to me to be the minimum – reducing our consumption of industrial meat or rethinking our lifestyles, I see how people around me don’t want to hear it or don’t really care.”
“It’s hard,” he confessed, “especially when you’ve been trying to be an activist for over 40 years. I don’t want to be negative, but I have to face the world and the scientific truth.It’s tough to talk about the world we’re preparing for our grand-children, my grand-children,” he added.
“That said,” he went on, “what I wanted above all, was to show the beauty of the world, how lucky we are to have this surrounding nature which amazes me a little more every day. Also, the very good news is biodiversity. Every time we let nature re-establish itself or protect ecosystems, species return.”
Ultimately, for the profound humanist and founder of the international environmental organisation Goodplanet, the biggest message of “Nature” is “to learn again how to look at the world with more love. It is love and the desire to work together to get to the heart of the matter that will show us a way,” he insists.
Unifrance Screening
At the Unifrance Rendez-Vous, the film is the only factual program invited to be showcased on a silver screen, a proof of Arthus-Bertrand’s pulling power, despite tougher times for climate-focused factual programs, according to Federation International’s head of documentaries Ilan Sarfati.
“These days, broadcasters and streamers tend to be more conservative; they favour lighter topics or character-driven stories and bigger platforms are less interested in pure acquisitions. But with Yann’s pedigree, his visual, poetic approach and evergreen message, I’m confident of the pic’s global appeal,” said the doc sales executive who added: “Having the opportunity to screen the first part of the completed film in Le Havre is a privilege. Our sales strategy was to push for big pre-buys, using rough cut clips. Now we’re screening the film with subtitles here, before delivering an English-language version around Mipcom.”
The film just won the Deauville Green Awards-Silver Medal Award in the documentary slot, and is just picking up its festival round, while serving as entry point to debates at selected free NGO screenings.
Hope Productions’ Florent Gilard, long-time partner to Arthus-Bertrand, says the film will also benefit from a wide impact campaign, just as the filmmaker’s earlier docs “Vibrant” (2023), a loving inventory of France’s biodiversity, and “Woman,” a portrait of 2,000 women from 50 countries, which premiered out of competition in Venice in 2019.
“Vibrant,” “Woman” and a large slate of Arthus-Bertrand’s flagship docs, including the 27-minute “Origin,” a pre-opener at this year’s Venice Film Festival, are handled by Federation International following Federation Entertainment‘s majority buy out of Hope’s mother company Robin & Co in 2023 and merger of all of Robin & Co’s own activities including its sales arm banner Calt Distribution.
variety.com
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