TVREAL
KURSK: 10 Days That Shaped Putin, examining the August 2000 explosion onboard a Kursk submarine that trapped 118 Russian submariners at the bottom of the Barents Sea, is being produced for Sky HISTORY by HiddenLight Productions.
The two-part series questions why Russia’s military and political establishment took so long to alert Russian President Vladimir Putin—who was in his first 100 days of power—of the disaster and took days to accept international assistance while the submariners’ families desperately waited for information.
The story will be told using archival footage—including world news, personal archive of the Kursk crew and their families, underwater footage of the rescue mission, government press conferences and subsequent Russian propaganda—and firsthand testimony from those integrally involved. This includes U.S. President Bill Clinton, families of the Kursk submariners and the Commanding Officer of the American submarine USS Memphis, who witnessed the event in real time from the Barents Sea.
The series also follows the quest for justice by the brave lawyer for the families of the submariners who were forced into exile.
KURSK: 10 Days That Shaped Putin is set to debut on February 25 on Sky HISTORY in the U.K. and later on The HISTORY Channel in Sweden, Norway, Benelux, CEE and the Middle East.
The two-parter is produced by HiddenLight Productions, founded by former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Sam Branson and Chelsea Clinton. It is directed by Becky Read. International rights are held by Sphere Abacus.
“When trying to make sense of the chaos and destruction Vladimir Putin has wrought since becoming Russian leader in May 2000, it’s important to go back to where it all began and understand how the lies and cover-up that surrounded the fate of the Kursk and her 118-strong crew in August 2000 shaped his presidency,” said Dan Korn, VP of programming at Hearst Networks EMEA.
Hayley Reynolds, acting director of documentaries at Sky, commented, “We are thrilled to be co-producing this series with Sky HISTORY and partnering with world-class talent in director Becky Read and the team at HiddenLight. We know audiences will be gripped by this powerful examination of such a significant geopolitical event.”
“This extraordinary story, which unfolded over just ten days, captured the attention of the world,” added Amy Flanagan, producer at HiddenLight. “25 years on, it reveals Putin’s playbook and showed the hallmark of the leader he was to become, but it also tells a different, very human story of nations coming together, despite the lies and the chaos, to try and save their fellow sailors.”
