Picomedia & WeiT Media Align for Kurgan Drama

Italy-based Picomedia, part of Asacha Media Group, and Banijay’s WeiT Media in Russia have partnered to co-produce the new drama Kurgan.

The six-part series is based on true events and set in 1982 in Northern Italy, where a 14-year-old boy in an affluent family has a medical condition that no local doctor can treat. When he learns of a pioneering treatment by a Russian orthopedic surgeon in Siberia, his family must weigh the consequences of the opportunity to change his life.

Kurgan, co-written by Russian and Italian scriptwriters, will be produced in both languages with an Italian female lead and a Russian male counterpart.

Yulia Sumacheva, CEO at WeiT Media, said: “This cross-border drama will take viewers into a deeply moving and thrilling true story, filmed predominantly in the Siberian city of Kurgan where [Gavriil Abramovich] Ilizarov’s hospital continues to operate to this day. With international demand for Russian drama continuing to grow, our partnership with Picomedia for Kurgan will authentically capture both the Italian and Russian themes of this series, which will enthrall audiences everywhere.”

Roberto Sessa, founder of Picomedia, said: “At Picomedia we were hoping to find an extraordinary story based on true events and were thrilled to find one that brought together Russian and Italian communities during the era of the Iron Curtain. This set the stage for our collaboration with WeiT Media, and we are excited to work with them on this international co-production.”