Advanced Television

Beyond Rights picks up Curious Films’ Caroline Flack documentary

April 7, 2021

Beyond Rights has acquired the one-hour documentary Caroline Flack: Her Life and Death to spearhead its new factual content slate for the upcoming MIPTV period.

Produced by Curious Films for Channel 4, the documentary aired to critical acclaim when it premiered on 17th March this year. It also beat the slot average, attracted 3.1m consolidated viewers in its first week and achieved an impressive 29% share of young viewers. It now ranks as the second-best performing documentary of all time on All4 behind Leaving Neverland (0-7 day viewing, owned and operated platforms).

Created as a tribute to popular TV presenter Caroline Flack, most well-known for hosting Love Island, the documentary combines never-before-seen footage with testimony from Caroline’s mum Christine, twin sister Jody, and her closest friends in an emotional, intimate and candid film celebrating Caroline’s life and legacy. Significantly, it also delves behind the headlines to reveal a complex woman at odds with her public persona and sensitively explores the pressures that fame, mental health, press and social media had on Caroline throughout her life.

Nicola Davey, Beyond Rights’ VP of acquisitions was responsible for obtaining the worldwide rights to the film. She comments: “We are delighted to have acquired this powerful, premium documentary and to be embarking on a new partnership with Curious Films. The company has an enviable track record of producing intimate, revealing, and distinctive programming and Caroline Flack: Her Life and Death builds on that. This film is heart-breaking and honest, demonstrating a light and sensitive touch while covering difficult subjects.

“Mental health issues are very topical at the present, as are the undue pressures of the press and social media. While this documentary at its heart is a testament to Caroline, it also shines a stark light on these important matters and, as such, we believe it will readily find a home with international broadcasters and streamers keen to explore different facets of these complex topics.”

Dov Freedman, managing director and co-founder of Curious Films was the documentary’s executive producer, he adds: “Our film is about the life of a highly-talented and much-loved British TV presenter, but its underlying messages about depression and the invasive nature of social media will resonate with audiences everywhere. We are really pleased that our programme will be supported in the international marketplace by Beyond Rights and are hopeful that, as part of Caroline’s legacy, it helps promotes a greater understanding of mental health issues.”

Caroline Flack: Her Life and Death was directed by Curious Films’ creative director and co-founder Charlie Russell, the double BAFTA and Emmy Award-winning director of Chris Packham: Asperger’s & Me and Choosing to Die, the seminal film about assisted dying featuring Sir Terry Pratchett. It was commissioned by Becky Cadman and Lee McMurray for Channel 4 Factual Entertainment.

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