To mark Terranoa's 25th anniversary, Unifrance invited Gedeon Media Group's distribution subsidiary to highlight three recent documentaries from its catalog. The choice fell on The Lost City of Sanxingdui (co-produced by Imagissime for France 5 and BKM for CCTV); Mary, Queen of Scots - Cracking the Code (produced by Gedeon Programmes for ARTE France), and Collisions: Life and Death from Outer Space (co-produced by Nomades, Mélusine Productions, and A Table Productions).
Through the presentation of these three programs, emblematic of the diversity and quality of Terranoa's catalog, Isabelle Graziadey, Executive Director International Coproductions, Sales & Acquisitions at Terranoa, reaffirms the strength of the group's synergies and its ability to adapt to the dynamics of a constantly evolving international market.
The Lost City of Sanxingdui 52’ & 90’
Unifrance: At what point did you become involved at Terranoa on this international project, which is part of the strengthening of your partnership strategy in Asia?
Isabelle Graziadey: This project perfectly illustrates the winning synergies between a French producer and a distributor in search of foreign partners and international sales to consolidate the budget.
We committed to this film at a very early stage, with a substantial MG, convinced that it ticked all the boxes for a successful title. This enabled us to move quickly in search of international pre-financing:
Its main selling points:
- An unprecedented subject: an exceptionally rich excavation site in Sichuan, revealing a lost city which, over the past 30 years, has continued to provide new insights into this little-known kingdom of ancient China, thanks to the latest archaeological tools.
- Privileged access: a co-production between France 5 - Science Grand Format and CCTV guaranteeing privileged access to the site, to national television archives (including Sichuan TV), and to the best Chinese historians on the subject.
- Imagissime's renowned artistic and production team, experienced in the demands of co-production, both in terms of content and form.
These points, combined with our early involvement in the project, enabled us to bring our editorial eye to bear right from the writing stage, with a focus on the form – in particular the place of 2D and 3D animation.
In this way, we deployed a financing strategy targeting the major documentary slots dedicated to the history of lost civilizations.
What is your international distribution strategy for this program?
I.G.: The project was pitched at Sunny Side 2024, enabling us to conclude six pre-buys with PBS/WNET, SVT, VIASAT, RTVE, Ceska TV, and Toute l'Histoire.
Today, one year later, with just one month to go before delivery of the 52-minute international version, we're confident about future sales, even to those who don't have a pre-buy budget.
With several collaborations already under our belt in recent years, our Chinese partners recognize Terranoa's expertise in securing international financing. We have also signed a new mandate for another history series co-produced with CCTV.
©Imagissime - BKM - CCTV - France 5
Mary, Queen of Scots - Cracking the Code 52’ & 90’
How does this documentary illustrate the success of the synergy within Gedeon Media Group, for which you oversee distribution?
I.G.: In this project, too, we combined the expertise of Gedeon and Terranoa. At Gedeon, I was involved in setting up the agreement with the BBC (via Lion TV) as English co-producer, as well as co-productions with ZDF, PBS/WNET, and pre-buys from SVT and SBS.
Terranoa then took over the final pre-buys and sales (RTVE, SRC, VIASAT), providing a MG to consolidate the financing plan.
This historical documentary borrows from the codes of fiction, using live action reconstructions. Does this choice reflect a strong trend in today's market?
Yes, the choice occurred very early on in the script, due to the nature of the story. The film blends investigation and deciphering of the letters discovered two years ago with the story of Mary Stuart's eventful life, revealed in a new light. It was this dual approach that won over broadcasters.
Collisions: Life and Death from Outer Space 52’
With sales of over €50,000 in just one year, this program about space is a real international success. How do you explain this?
I.G.: The success of films dealing with the great mysteries of the cosmos is undeniable when they combine the latest scientific knowledge with top-of-the-range VFX visualizations to popularize this science. It's a fascinating, fast-moving field, and this film offers a contrasting, highly educational account of the dual nature of these celestial bodies: both carriers of the first building blocks of life, and potentially destructive to the Earth, due to the risk of collision.
How are the program's international sales going?
I.G.: The film has been sold to ZDF, Nippon TV, SVT, RTVE, RSI, YLE, Ushuaia tv, Canal+ Polska, Ceska tv, ERT, Al Asharq, and others.
©Nomades - A Table Productions - Mélusine Productions
