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Russia’s WeiT Media, Picomedia pair on Cold War medical drama Kurgan

Banijay-owned Russian producer WeiT Media and Italian scripted producer Picomedia, part of Asacha Media Group, are coproducing a drama based on true events during the Cold War.

Yulia Sumacheva

Kurgan (6×60’), set in 1982, is about a teenage boy from an affluent Italian family that has a medical condition that no doctor in his own country can treat. But when his mother learns of a pioneering treatment offered by a Russian orthopaedic surgeon, Gavriil Ilizarov, in Kurgan, Siberia the family must face the arduous journey to get there and risk potential political repercussions.

Co-written by Russian and Italian scriptwriters, the series will be produced in both languages with an Italian female lead and Russian male counterpart.

Yulia Sumacheva, CEO at WeiT Media, said: “This cross-border drama will take viewers into a deeply moving and thrilling true story, filmed predominantly in the Siberian city of Kurgan where Ilizarov’s hospital continues to operate to this day.

Roberto Sessa

“With international demand for Russian drama continuing to grow, our partnership with Picomedia for Kurgan will authentically capture both the Italian and Russian themes of this series, which will enthral audiences everywhere.”

Roberto Sessa, founder of Picomedia, said: “At Picomedia we were hoping to find an extraordinary story based on true events and were thrilled to find one that brought together Russian and Italian communities during the era of the Iron Curtain. This set the stage for our collaboration with WeiT Media, and we are excited to work with them on this international coproduction.”

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