Starz secures seven docs

The Rape of Recy Taylor focuses on the aftermath of the crime committed in 1944

Lionsgate-backed US cablenet Starz has expanded its factual programming by acquiring exclusive first-run rights to seven documentaries, including The Rape of Recy Taylor.

The film exposes physical abuse of black women and reveals civil rights icon Rosa Parks’ intimate role in the story of Taylor, who was gang-raped by six white men in Alabama in 1944.

Also on the slate is McLaren, about Formula One driver Bruce McLaren; Pecking Order, which explores the challenges faced by a group of Kiwi chicken breeders; and behind-the-scenes film Sled Dogs, which explores what happens to the animals that pull tourists’ sledges.

Additionally, Intent to Destroy: Death, Denial & Depiction delves into the Armenian Genocide, while What Haunts Us spotlights abuse at a South Carolina school in the 1970s.

Stranger Fruit is a documentary about Mike Brown, who was shot dead by a police officer in Missouri in 2014, and Love & Bananas follows an elephant conservationist.

C Brett Marottoli, head of programme acquisitions for Starz, said the “eclectic slate of documentaries” would “not only strategically align with Starz original series but also present engaging subjects, provocative conflicts and authentic storytelling.”

Last year Starz added to its unscripted slate with four docuseries, including Wrong Man, which examines the convictions of three people who claim their innocence.