23/07/2024
23/07/2024
Two premium BossaNova documentaries to air on Channel 4 in the UK
ITN Productions' "MH17: The Plane Crash that Shook the World" will air this weekend and Britespark Films' "Tsunami: The Day the Wave Hit" will also be part of Channel 4 schedule.
BossaNova have sold two new documentaries from ITN Productions and BriteSpark Films (part of Argonon) about two era-defining events to Channel 4 in the UK. ITN Productions’ one-hour special "MH17: The Plane Crash that Shook the World" will air on Channel 4 this weekend to mark the 10th anniversary of the loss of Malaysian Airlines flight. The programme features accounts of the tragedy from families and friends of victims, as well as a range of interviewees including, Channel News Correspondent, Matt Frei, who reported on the ground at the crash site, Eduard Fesko, the interim Ukrainian ambassador to the UK, and Digna van Boetzelaer, the Deputy Chief Public Prosecutor in the Netherlands who prosecuted the Russians in absentia.
MH17 was shot out of the skies over Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board. In 2022, three former Russian agents were tried in absentia by a Dutch court and found guilty of the crime. However, the method and reason for their murderous action has been shrouded in disinformation, geo-political machinations and espionage. The bringing down of flight MH17 is credited with improving Ukraine’s readiness for war with Russia. It also marked the start of a new Cold War, as the US, UK, Dutch and Ukrainian secret services joined forces to counter their perceived threat of Putin’s Russia.
Matt Frei said: “The shooting down of MH17 was one of the most traumatic stories I have ever covered. The unattended crash site in the middle of a warzone was reminiscent of a horror film. The soldiers who were responsible for the murder of 298 passengers and crew were guarding the crime scene and all of it was a foretaste of the terrors to come with the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.”
BriteSpark Films’ "Tsunami, The Day The Wave Hit" (2x60') is a minute-by-minute account of the deadliest natural disaster of the 21st century, which took place on December 26, 2004. With powerful first-hand testimony and archive, some of it unseen, the series recounts the shocking stories that unfolded in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami, which claimed nearly 230,000 lives across the nations of the Indian Ocean.
Holly Cowdery Head of Sales at BossaNova said: “One of the privileges of my job is to be able to represent world-class producers like ITN and Britespark Films with the skill and capacity to tell stories that have shaped our world. Both of these powerful documentaries mark events that have not only impacted on millions of lives but continue to resonate down the years and around the world. Early indications are that both 'MH17, A Plane That Started A Secret War' and 'Tsunami, The Day The Wave Hit' are going to be big sellers on the global market.”