Click here to read the full article.
The 32nd edition of the Unifrance Rendez-Vous TV content market in Le Havre kicks off Sept. 7 with a broad selection of more than 350 programs boasting strong international potential presented by France’s leading distributors.
The Rendez-Vous hosts some 50 exclusive screenings of hit scripted series, animated shows and acclaimed documentaries, including a special showcase of three of the year’s highlights.
Despite a new condensed program this year, the four-day Rendez-Vous will still see a full lineup of industry panel discussions, events and soirées, including the presentation France’s TV programming export figures for 2025 by promotional org Unifrance and the National Film Board (CNC).
France’s premiere TV market, the Rendez-Vous last year brought together some 150 buyers from 40 countries and more than 50 local distribution companies.
The titles in the spotlight this year include:
“Beasts of the Colosseum,” directed by Nicolas Brénéol, produced by AH! Production for Novo 19 and sold internationally by Balanga.
It examines how ancient Rome, captivated by the “venationes” — spectacles featuring wild beasts rather than gladiators — organized with the help of legionaires the capture and transportation of lions, panthers, elephants and bears from the Empire’s frontiers to the Colosseum.
“Swapped,” directed by Vania Leturcq and Savina Dellicour, produced by Lincoln TV for France 2 and distributed by France TV Distribution.
Set in 1889 Paris, the series follows Rose (Lula Cotton Frapier), a young mother and wet nurse who, when forced to give up her own child, secretly swaps her baby with that of Hélène de Gersande (Alexia Giordano), a mother grieving the sudden loss of her infant. It’s “in the vein of ‘Downton Abbey’ but in a French style,” says Julia Schulte, France TV Distribution’s senior VP of international sales.
“The Red and the Black,” adapted from Stendhal’s novel, written by Georges-Marc Benamou and Gilles Taurand, directed by Gaël Morel, produced by Siècle Productions for France Télévisions, and distributed by Wild Bunch Distribution.
The four-part series chronicles the efforts of young Julien Sorel (Victor Belmondo) to rise socially beyond his modest upbringing while entangled in a web of passion and power. Julien’s pursuit of greatness leads him down a path where love, pride and hypocrisy collide… with tragic consequences.
Other notable new shows with cross-border, if not local adaptation potential, include About Premium Content’s “Country Spy,” produced by Banijay Group’s DMLS Films, which follows French intelligence agent Marie-Line Maupain, who, after 30 years of service, ends up back in the rural region she once called home. Putting her spy instincts to good use, she begins investigating criminal cases behind the back of the local police captain.
Aimed at kids 10 and under, “Super-Lucha” follows 10-year-old Ennio, who comes from a long line of Super-Luchadores, masked vigilantes who fight the forces of evil in a small Mexican town. Sold by Autour de Minuit, directed by Goulwen Merret and produced by Vivement Lundi! and Nadasdy Film, the stop-motion animated show is inspired by Mexican pop culture and papier-mâché piñatas.
“The Nefertiti Case,” sold by Film & Picture and produced by Incognita Télévision and
Tripode Productions, chronicles the efforts of Andrea, head of the French Museums Directorate, to save a landmark exhibition after the priceless bust of Nefertiti, on loan from Berlin, falls to the ground and breaks. Desperate, she seeks the help of a legendary forger recently released from prison, who also happens to be her estranged younger sister.
In Gaumont’s “The Deal,” set in 2015, Swiss diplomat Alexandra Weiss leads a mission hosting last-chance nuclear talks between the U.S. and Iran, with Europe, Russia and China. As tensions rise and delegates’ hidden agendas jeopardize fragile diplomacy, Alexandra’s former love Payam, a threatened Iranian engineer, appears, forcing her to cross lines to protect him. Bande à Part Films, Les Films Pelléas and Gaumont produce.
Andana Films offers Tamara Erde’s timely two-part documentary “Gaza, a People’s History,” from Elda Productions and Kwassa Films, which explores the history of the 400 square-kilometer stretch of Palestinian land, wedged between Israel, Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea, once home to 2.23 million people. The production revisits key moments in the region’s history.
