“We’re able to source dynamic, entertaining documentaries aimed at a slightly younger audience”
– The Head of International Distribution & Marketing talks to us about her line-up, her editorial approach and the current trends in the documentary market
During the 37th Sunny Side of the Doc (22–24 June in La Rochelle), we met with Joséphine Létang, Head of International Distribution & Marketing of Arte France Distribution, which enjoyed huge sales success last year with the documentary The Mystery of the Desert Kites and earlier this year with Greenland : the Icy Eldorado.
Cineuropa: What are the highlights of Arte France Distribution’s extensive line-up at Sunny Side of the Doc?
Joséphine Létang: The element of discovery is important, so we’re focusing on new acquisitions such as Jeff Morales’ Cluck! Chicken Exposed, which strays slightly from our usual repertoire. Today, our catalogue comprises 90 per cent Arte documentaries and 10 per cent films from other sources, such as France Télévisions, Canal+ or other broadcasters. We were really taken with Cluck! Chicken Exposed: it’s a highly entertaining little pop-science piece that’s also extremely rigorous scientifically, and which attracts a slightly younger audience. We’ll also continue to work on our Cinema Icons collection, which now provides us with a substantial catalogue of star profiles. Coming soon, amongst others, is the one featuring Jessica Chastain (which includes a wonderful interview with Al Pacino). We also sell documentaries about films, such as Terminator: Of Machines and Men… and one Woman, which is quite exceptional (featuring an exclusive interview with James Cameron) and highly topical given the current focus on AI and feminism. We also have a strong focus on investigative documentaries, such as Inside Gaza and the Palestine, A History trilogy. In addition, we also focus on the United States and China, as a large proportion of current global conflicts are centred there. Finally, as part of our efforts to diversify our catalogue, we have also been selling live music recordings since last year, with a collection now comprising over 30 concerts (including Nick Cave, Iggy Pop, Moby, as well as classical, jazz and dance music) – a segment in which we enjoyed great success last year.
What about the two projects from your line-up that have been selected for Meet & Match?
All About Fur! is a scientifically fascinating project, produced by Haut Et Court Doc, which has always brought us intelligent and visually stunning films. As for Kim, the Diamond and the Grandpa Robbers, it’s a slight departure from our usual editorial focus, as we don’t have much of a presence in the True Crime genre. In this case, with a figure as globally renowned as Kim Kardashian, we have a lot of groundwork to do beforehand to demonstrate that Arte France Distribution is capable of securing these titles and finding buyers for films that one might not necessarily expect to see in our catalogue. And it’s the same with The Radio: Once Upon a Time in Los Angeles and Origins: A Tale of Light. These are dynamic, entertaining documentaries aimed at a slightly younger audience, as it’s a challenge for everyone – across both linear and non-linear platforms – to tell stories differently and reach this audience.
What sort of documentaries are broadcasters currently seeking?
I wish I had a crystal ball. What is certain is that the decision-making process for acquisitions takes much longer than it used to. Risk-taking is extremely rare. A few years ago, we could pitch a documentary based on a proposal, then we were asked for rough cuts, and now we are practically selling finished films. Naturally, when it comes to sensitive subjects such as politics or investigative journalism, buyers tend to insist on seeing the documentary before making up their minds. There’s also much greater scrutiny and caution regarding scientific accuracy and the way in which subjects are presented.
What changes have there been in terms of regions?
There have always been markets that are more or less challenging, depending on local policies, commitments and the establishment of companies. International sales are a dynamic sector that is highly dependent on current events and economic conditions. However, it is clear that China, for example, is becoming an increasingly challenging market, particularly due to issues of censorship. As for the United States, public broadcasters are struggling considerably. But this is broadly offset by other, more dynamic countries. The major change at present is the position of all eVOD partners compared to a few years ago, and the way this market is structured. Today, for example, we work with a huge number of YouTube channel publishers around the world, and I believe these channels operate much as the themed channels did when they were first launched a few years ago: we now see highly structured, highly professional companies with channels organised by theme. It’s a segment that essentially runs on volume, and you need to be able to supply them fairly regularly and provide them with a large volume of content for it to be profitable; however, their share of our turnover is constantly increasing and we clearly cannot overlook them today. All the more because each audience has its own segment and YouTube does not detract from other forms of distribution. In fact, many fairly old IPs continue to perform well on YouTube, where there is no such time-based restriction based on the year of production – a factor that can sometimes be a bit of a hindrance elsewhere. And a whole new generation is discovering content there that they would not have come across elsewhere. These days, it is essential to systematically go where the audience is and documentaries need to be shown across a range of platforms rather than in just one place.
(Translated from French)
