BossaNova has closed a string of sales for “Tsunami: The Day The Wave Hit” (2x60’), which will see the premium documentary air across Europe and North America. Viasat World has acquired the doc produced by Argonon-owned BriteSpark Films, for its feeds in the CEE, CIS, Nordic and Baltic territories. In addition, the two-part documentary has been picked up by SVT Sweden and Radio Canada. This latest round of deals for “Tsunami: The Day The Wave Hit” follows pre-sales to Channel 4 UK and SBS Australia earlier this year.
On December 26, 2004, one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded struck off the coast of Indonesia, triggering a tsunami that radiated across the Indian Ocean, claiming nearly 230,000 lives. “Tsunami: The Day The Wave Hit” is a minute-by-minute account of one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history, told through powerful first-hand testimony and archive, much of it never before seen. Packed with emotion, drama and heroism, the documentary also looks at the legacy of the tsunami, from the heartbreaking months spent searching for missing family members to the monumental task of recovering and rebuilding shattered lives and communities.
Holly Cowdery, head of sales at BossaNova, said: “We’ve put a real focus on anniversary pieces this year, starting with the success we had with ‘MH17: The Plane Crash That Shook The World’ back in July. Both ‘Tsunami’ and ‘MH17’ were brought to life via our ‘acqui-mission’ model, which helps to get great shows made in a changing funding market. By partnering with Channel 4 and SBS, we’re incredibly proud to have helped BriteSpark to produce this important historical record. ‘Tsunami: The Day The Wave Hit’ tells the devastating stories of those who survived an era-defining disaster. We very much look forward to working with BriteSpark on more ‘minute by minute’ accounts of historically significant events.”