Castro’s Revolution vs the World Leads ARTE’s Factual Slate

ARTE Distribution is launching a host of history, nature and arts programs at this year’s MIPDoc, including a 60-year retrospective that examines how Cuba changed world politics, Castro’s Revolution vs the World.

The two-part series, produced for the BBC and ARTE by Brook Lapping and Temps Noir, follows the story of Cuba’s last six decades as told by the protagonists on the Cuban, Russian and American sides. It includes unreleased archive footage to illustrate the narratives.

Also from ARTE this year are Corleone: Mafia and Blood and Escoffier: The Making of a Chef. The former is a two-part doc that follows a five-year in-depth investigation into how a young small-town mobster, Toto Riina, rose to power in the 1970s in Sicily’s legendary mafia, Cosa Nostra, becoming one of the most feared and violent organized crime leaders ever. Escoffier, meanwhile, pivots to the life story of master chef Auguste Escoffier, who revolutionized the cooking and dining experience as we know it. The doc is bolstered by reenactments of his life, and star chefs explain how his influence is still felt today.

Hitler’s Evil Science is the latest Nazi doc from David Korn Brzoza (After Hitler, Hitler’s Last Year) and will also be featured by ARTE this MIPDoc. It examines how some of the 20th century’s brightest minds used science to serve a totalitarian dictatorship.

The company is also launching a group of programs that highlight nature’s most fascinating creatures. Firstly, a 4K natural history series called Animal Odyssey follows the migrations and evolution of various mammals over a period of 65 million years. Next from ARTE come three wildlife one-offs: Tracking the Arctic Giants, 24h with Sharks and Killer Kitty.

On the arts and culture tip are several documentaries covering a variety of subjects: Hitchcock Confidential, Julie Andrews Forever, Johnny Clegg, the white Zulu, Radiohead: Mutant Group and Fantastic Mr Murray. Lastly is Artists and Love, a ten-part series that tells the stories of artists’ love affairs in the context of art history.