Arte exec to head France 2 docs

Catherine Alvaresse

Cultural channel Arte France’s deputy director of specialist factual is joining France 2 as director of documentaries.

Catherine Alvaresse will replace Fabrice Puchault, who is himself joining Arte France in the coming weeks as director of its culture and society unit.

The move will reunite Alvaresse with Vincent Meslet, the former editorial director of Arte France, who was named France 2’s executive director in September.

In Alvaresse, France 2 has chosen someone with a strong international profile and a background in both distribution and production.

Before joining Arte in 2011, where she oversaw many international coproductions, Alvaresse spent four years as deputy MD of Lagardère Group’s international sales operations, which at the time was called Europe Images.

Prior to that she was director of international coproductions at prodco Boréales for a couple of years, after being head of sales and copros at Télé-Images from 2004 to 2006. She also served as head of sales at Off The Fence from 1998 to 2003.