NGTI ACQUIRES NEW PRODUCTION FROM COMPASS FILMS

Published: 4 September 2006

NGTI (National Geographic Television International) continues its drive for third party factual programming with the acquisition of RED VELVET, a major new polemic documentary from France-based Compass Films.

In Southern Siberia, where Russia, China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan meet, thousands of maral deer live in gigantic protected reserves. For centuries, every spring, their impressive velvet antlers have been cut off in a bloody ritual to provide the Koreans with a natural, sought-after aphrodisiac. Filmed throughout an entire year in the Russian Altai region, RED VELVET (1 X 60) recounts the fate of the maral deer and follows the unlikely journey of their antlers to South Korea.

Compass Films has previously made two films under commission for National Geographic Television & Film – Elephant Power (2000) and Burma’s Forbidden Islands (2004) – both of which have been sold by NGTI.

Edwina Thring, head of programmes at NGTI comments: “Red Velvet is one of the most impactful films I have seen in a long time. It’s beautifully shot, has excellent production values and unusually, combines amazing wildlife with a strong social story. The nature of the programme and its often controversial content means that this is far from a traditional family wildlife programme but anyone who watches it cannot fail to be hooked by this amazing story.

“Klaus Reisinger and Frédérique Lengaigne at Compass Films are old-school film-makers with a contemporary touch. They believe in being out in the field for one to two years in order to understand their subjects to the full and tell a story from end to end. Their approach, coupled with the quality of their productions, is exactly what we look for when we acquire new product, so we are delighted to be working with them and hope that this new show is the start of a long and enduring relationship.”

Klaus Reisinger from Compass Films comments: “We produced Red Velvet without an initial commission as it was a story we desperately wanted to tell and one that has not previously received any exposure. NGTI is a natural partner for us, not just because of the previous relationship, but because National Geographic provides a perfect home for stories that explore the often complex relationships between animals, man and nature. We are very excited at this new relationship and are already in discussion about some future projects.”