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France TV Distribution, the sales arm of French public broadcaster France Télévisions, has boarded the period slave drama “Unchained,” which it is launching internationally at this year’s Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Le Havre.
“Unchained” is set in 1806 on Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean, where, in the wake of a deadly cyclone, Charles Bellevue’s plantation lies in ruins.
Bankrupted, he’s forced to sell his lands and slaves, who fear being torn apart. Among them, Isaac refuses to accept his fate. He’s just discovered that Charles Bellevue is not merely his master but also his father.
Fueled by rage and an insatiable desire for freedom, Isaac persuades Charles to keep the plantation. Impressed by his resolve, Charles appoints him as overseer.
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Now, Isaac must balance his newfound power with his urge to protect his people. The series follows his efforts to walk this fine line.
The show was created by Alain Moreau, who penned the six-part series with Adriana Barbato and Fanny Talmone, and produced by Tetra Media Fiction, part of ITV’s French production subsidiary Tetra Media Studio.
“Unchained” is directed by Laure de Butler.
France TV Distribution’s lineup in Le Havre also includes family thriller “Vendetta,” which kicks off this year’s Rendez-Vous TV market.
The six-part series tells the story of a Corsican family that spans the 1990s to the present day. Anto, a Parisian cop of Corsican origin, swore as a child to his brother – killed in a vendetta – to break the cycle of vengeance that has plagued their family for generations. As he prepares to return to his homeland with his wife to take over the family vineyard, he is ambushed and left in a coma. When he wakes up 10 years later, he discovers that his son, Santu, now a teenager, is obsessed with revenge.
“Vendetta” is produced by CPB Films for France 2.
Other new titles include the six-part thriller “Danger in the Valley.” Set in the quiet village of Salvérac, nestled in the rugged Causses region, the series follows the efforts of a defiant mayor to stop a looming threat: a shale gas drilling project led by a billionaire engineer and a powerful consortium. As she fights to stop the project, she becomes a target of shadowy threats.
“Danger in the Valley” is co-written by bestselling French author Michel Bussi and produced by Paris-based Cinétévé in co-production with France TV and Belgium’s Be-Films.
