Locked-in syndrome doc 44 Hours sells to Prime Video, NRK, DocEdge Virtual Cinema

Yes Studios’ documentary 44 Hours

Norwegian pubcaster NRK, New Zealand’s DocEdge Virtual Cinema platforms and Prime Video in the US have all acquired Israeli documentary 44 Hours.

The 1×60’/1×83’ factual title is a Yes Docu and Rotem Gross and Einat-Hana Shamir production, coproduced with Neue Celluloid Fabrik Filmproduktion and SWR (Germany), in co-operation with Arte (France).

The project represented a move into premium factual content for Yes Studios, producer of dramas Fauda and Shtisel. A 1×83’ feature-length documentary version will now become available as a TVoD title on Amazon’s Prime Video.

The 1×60’ version has been acquired by NRK in Norway for its linear channels (NRK1, 2 & 3) and VoD platform, while in New Zealand, the feature version has been licensed to DocEdge Virtual Cinema, the year-round viewing platform that supports the Doc Edge Festival.

The doc tells the story of Gil Avni, a man who miraculously recovered from a rare form of locked-in syndrome, only two other cases of which are known worldwide.

The deals were secured by Israel’s Yes Studios, which handles global distribution.