Zed rebuilds Notre-Dame, visits desert

Together: Kalahari’s Secret Alliances

French factual producer-distributor Zed is lining up a string of new titles, including a documentary on the restoration of Notre-Dame Cathedral and another exploring the Kalahari Desert.

The Resurrection of Notre-Dame (2×52’) will follow restoration work on the 13th century cathedral that was destroyed by fire earlier this year, drawing on new footage and laser scans of the historic building. A 90′ version directed by Vincent Amouroux will also be made for Arte France, and will be completed in the summer of 2022.

Together: Kalahari’s Secret Alliances, meanwhile, is a 2×52’ documentary miniseries or 90’ special for France 2 primetime, accompanied by a 52’ one-off looking at the science behind it.

The project explores the mysteries of animal cooperation in the African desert, suggesting that an apparently savage world is less selfish than first thought. Directed by Pierre Stine and produced by Zed, it is scheduled for delivery in summer 2021.

Finally, also in the works at Zed is Ku Klux Klan: An American Story, a feature-length documentary on the origins of US white supremacists. Produced by Roche Productions for Arte France, the 2×45′ and 90′ piece will bring together archival footage and interviews and be delivered in September 2020.

Zed is presenting all three projects at Sunny Side of the Doc in La Rochelle this week.