ZDF Studios Secures New Documentaries

ZDF Studios has secured the worldwide distribution rights to two new factual titles from the Global Doc Initiative.

The Forest: Can Trees Save the Planet?, from Windfall Films, features leading ecologist Tom Crowther, who made headlines when he estimated that the planet had space for an extra trillion trees, which would absorb enough carbon to help slow climate change. This, unfortunately, led to companies and governments planting unsuitable monoculture forests.

Crowther and his team received backlash from fellow scientists as a result. Now, Crowther and his team are working to set the record straight and come up with a new solution that preserves biodiversity and maximizes carbon capture. The documentary is produced in association with WGBH NOVA, France Télévisions, ABC Australia, SVT, ZDF Studios and ZDFinfo.

Lost World of the Hanging Gardens, meanwhile, centers on the Assyrian city of Nineveh, one of the world’s largest and most important settlements, as it is being newly discovered. The documentary explores why the city disappeared and if it could be the site of the last lost wonder of the ancient world, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

Lost World of the Hanging Gardens is produced by Lion Television, in association with France Télévisions, Thirteen/WNET, SVT, CBC, zdf.info and ZDF Studios.

The Global Doc Initiative was formed in 2022 by France Télévisions, ZDF (Germany), Channel 4 (U.K.), CBC (Canada), SVT (Sweden), ORF (Austria), WNET and WGBH (USA), NHK (Japan), RAI (Italy) and ABC Australia to put out a callout for high-end documentary proposals focusing on science and (ancient) civilization. These two documentaries are two of the three awarded programs.

“These two fascinating titles are an excellent addition to our unscripted catalog,” said Nikolas Hülbusch, Director Unscripted at ZDF Studios. “The topics they cover, the mystery of a legendary lost monument and the search for the best method to fight climate change, will appeal to audiences worldwide, so I predict plenty of interest from clients who are looking for top-quality documentaries.”

David Dugan, Emmy Award-winning executive producer from Windfall Films, commented, “The Forest: Can Trees Save the Planet? offers a deep insight into the ecology and biodiversity of forests and their potential impact on climate change. During the filming, Tom Crowther allowed director Jamie Lochhead to have deep access to his research group. He shares the ups and downs of trying to present a complex message to the world. We are very grateful to our co-pro partners for their support in making this challenging film possible.”

Richard Bradley, co-founder and chief creative officer of Lion Television, said, “Nineveh’s history and its recent discovery is a story that was begging to be told, so when the Initiative announced that they were looking for this type of content, we grabbed the opportunity with both hands. Lost World of the Hanging Gardens has been one of our most exciting productions, thanks to modern forensics and archaeological developments, which have allowed us to reveal this incredible city that was home to one of the world’s most powerful civilizations.”