News

   
07. April 2010

Beta Film international: Over 100 hours of new programs from four continents

Munich, 7 April 2010. Beta Film is bringing over a hundred hours of new high-caliber programs from four continents to this year's MIP TV in Cannes. Among the highlights of the productions from Germany, the U.S., Canada, Australia, France, Italy, Spain, Austria and China are the miniseries Pius XII (2 x 90'), starring Oscar-nominated U.S. actor James Cromwell ("L.A. Confidential," "24") and the new season of the English-language series Republic of Doyle (now 25 episodes), a modern-day homage to cult cop series such as "Magnum" and "Columbo." At MipDoc, the Beta joint-venture Autentic will be presenting a documentary shot in 3D about the biggest and most powerful telescope in the world, The Eye 3D.
The opulent historical drama Pius XII, directed by Christian Duguay ("The Art of War"), is set during the German occupation of Rome in 1943/1944. These two dramatic years in the pontificate of Pius XII form an important episode in the history of World War II that has never before been related as in this two-parter. To save Rome's Jews, the Pope granted asylum to thousands in the churches and cloisters of Rome and, through his diplomatic contacts with the Allies, saved the city from bombardment and destruction. Shot with a budget of 10 million euros, the film will be shown to Pope Benedict XVI at a private screening on 9 April. It is produced by Lux Vide, Rai Fiction, EOS, Tellux, BR and Rai Trade.
Oscar-winner Florian Gallenberger's German-French-Chinese coproduction John Rabe (2 x 90') is now available for the first time as a miniseries. The film depicts the true story of a German Siemens manager who prevented the slaughter of 250,000 civilians by Japanese soldiers in the then Chinese capital of Nanking during the Sino-Japanese War in 1937. The cinematic version of John Rabe obtained four German Film Awards, including Best Film and Best Lead Role. Starring alongside Ulrich Tukur (“The Lives of Others”) as John Rabe are Daniel Bruehl ("Inglourious Basterds," "Good Bye, Lenin!"), Steve Buscemi ("Fargo," "Armageddon") and Anne Consigny ("The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"). John Rabe was produced by Hofmann & Voges, EOS and Majestic Filmproduktion in coproduction with Whang Zhongjun & Wang Zhonglei / Huayi Brothers and Pampa.
Thanks to its exceptionally strong ratings, Canadian broadcaster CBC recently greenlighted the second season of the crime series Republic of Doyle. Humor and suspense keynote the investigative series set in St. John's, Newfoundland, where a father and his son run a detective agency together, but use completely different methods to solve their cases. Also in Beta's line-up are new seasons of the English-language series Sea Patrol (now 68 episodes), about the action-packed missions of the Australian coast guard, and of the horse-themed family series Heartland (now 69 episodes including a 90-minute Christmas special).
A threat of mass death is at the heart of the French thriller Killer Bees (1 x 90', produced by KWAÏ), starring Richard Anconina ("The Little Gangster") and Alessandra Martines, about an extremely aggressive and dangerous swarm of bees that descends upon France's southwestern coast. The very opposite of a panic-filled summer on the Côte is provided by the truly magical U.S. family Christmas film Good Witch's Wedding, a production of Whizbang Films and Lee Distribution. Catherine Bell ("J.A.G.") plays a young woman with a magical smile and a gift for mastering the most hopeless situations.