MUMBAI: FremantleMedia International (FMI) has extended its relationship with UK’s Arrow Media, having acquired international distribution rights to two new factual titles namely Operation Burma (2 x 60) and Nightmare on Everest (1 x 60).
FMI director of non-scripted, UK, EMEA and Asia Pacific Angela Neillis said, “It’s great to be working with the Arrow Media team again and to represent them on such diverse stories. Arrow’s trademark ability to deliver a compelling narrative, uncover new footage and gain the trust of first-hand eyewitnesses is unparalleled, and that’s why FremantleMedia International is proud to have these shows in our catalogue.”
Arrow Media joint creative director John Smithson added, “Our heritage is in unearthing fascinating stories and telling them in a way that will appeal to audiences all over the world. Operation Burma and Nightmare on Everest are a testament to this. Both reveal the truth behind two very different events, but equally take viewers on an emotional journey back in time. We are delighted to be working with Fremantle on both docs and extending our relationship further.”
Operation Burma – tells the story of world-renowned mountaineer, Joe Simpson as he embarks on a journey of discovery to learn more about the father he barely knew. Best known for his book and film adaptation, Touching the Void, Joe takes viewers on a unique 160 mile adventure in an unexplored part of the world as he undertakes this most personal of quests. Accompanied by survival expert, Ed Stafford, the first man to walk the length of the Amazon, Joe uses details recorded in his father’s secret, coded diary, to retrace the steps his father took seventy years ago as part of the second Chindit “Special Forces” campaign against the Japanese. Operation Burma is a BBC Two commission and Nick Metcalfe is executive producer.
Nightmare on Everest – tells the gripping and emotional story of two days in the spring of 2015 which saw two catastrophic earthquakes strike the Himalayas killing 18 mountaineers and trapping many more for days. Almost one year on from this momentous event which took place on 15 April, the series uses a combination of user-generated content, previously untold stories and CGI to capture the impact of the natural disaster which sparked a series of devastating avalanches on Mount Everest. It has been commissioned in the UK by Channel 4.
FremantleMedia International also represents two additional Arrow Media titles. Dogs: Their Secret Lives, which has gone on to sell into 43 territories and is a fascinating hidden-camera series that captures the extraordinary behaviour of some of the nation’s dogs and their owners; and Hitler: The Biography (w/t) a six-part documentary series which chronicles Hitler from childhood to his downfall and has several pending deals across global territories.
