Kim Kardashian doc signals Arte Distribution’s move into music and pop docs

Kim, The Diamonds & the Grandpa Robbers was ordered by Canal+

Arte Distribution, the international sales arm of the European cultural public broadcaster known for premium factual documentaries, has expanded its portfolio with a 50-title music catalogue and more popular docs aimed at younger viewers.

Joséphine Letang

Joséphine Letang told C21 the company’s new doc, Kim, The Diamonds & the Grandpa Robbers, produced by Pernel Media for Canal+ and presented to buyers for the first time this week at Mipcom, encapsulates the distributor’s move into pop culture and true-crime-adjacent programming.

The documentary recounts the true story of Kim Kardashian’s robbery in 2016 in Paris, blending serious criminal investigation with pop culture spectacle.

Kim, The Diamonds & the Grandpa Robbers was one of more than a dozen French documentaries presented to buyers this week in Cannes by Unifrance, the organisation responsible for promoting French cinema and audiovisual content worldwide.

Letang, who took over the distribution arm of Arte three years ago, said she had identified music as a gap in Arte Distribution’s catalogue despite the channel’s substantial production of concert content through its Arte Concert label.

“It’s a very, very strong catalogue,” Letang said. Due to her previous role at Prime Entertainment Group, where she had built relationships with music buyers worldwide, she has been able to identify and package up the channel’s music programming for sale.

The music expansion means Arte Distribution now offers more than 50 concerts spanning pop, classical, jazz and rap, with highlights including Nick Cave, Air at the Royal Albert Hall, Moby’s 25th anniversary concert and French film music composer Alexandre Desplat. Mipcom marks the first time the distributor has presented a comprehensive music offering at a major market.

Beyond live performances, Arte Distribution is pushing into original music docs with forthcoming productions including Roche Productions’ Rough Trade, telling the iconic UK music label’s story with interviews from The Libertines’ Pete Doherty and the label’s founders. A doc about English trip-hop collective Massive Attack is also in production with Talweg Production and scheduled for a spring release.

Letang said the expansion of the catalogue meant the team will grow from three to four sales managers in January.

The exec said the expansion represents 10% of the catalogue, with the lion’s share still firmly resting on the three pillars of ancient history, current affairs and cinema icons on which Arte Distribution has built its reputation. “It doesn’t jeopardise what we are doing and what we are strong at,” she said.

The distributor is best known for prestigious factual titles such as The Latest Secrets of Hieroglyphs, which won the 2023 Unifrance TV Export Award as the best-selling French doc worldwide.

Traditional broadcasters, particularly public service channels, still represent Arte Distribution’s core buyers, said Letang. However, she noted that AVoD has become “a very strong business for us” over the past 18 months, requiring new dedicated resources and fresh commercial approaches.

Its AVoD partners include the UK’s Little Dot Studios and Germany’s Quintus Studios, she said.