DAZZLING AERIAL JOURNEY INTO HEART OF 2020 OLYMPIC HOST NATION
Paris, 05 February 2018 – For the second year running, NHK is holding a World Premiere TV Screening at MIPDoc with “Japan From Above”, an aerial journey into the heart of modern Japan.
The world's largest screenings library, conference and co-production marketplace for the factual community, MIPDoc 2018 takes place in Cannes, France on 7-8 April, ahead of the MIPTV entertainment content market which runs 9-12 April. The World Premiere TV Screening of “Japan From Above” is scheduled for Saturday 7 April at 6:00pm in the Grand Theatre of the JW Marriott Hotel.
Directed by Xavier Lefebvre, “Japan From Above” is a blue-chip international coproduction from Gedeon Programmes, NHK, ZDF/ARTE, Voyage and Japan Foundation. It is available as three one-hour episodes, five one-hour episodes with aerial and ground shots, or as a 90-minute stand-alone. “Japan From Above” has been pre-bought by numerous international broadcasters, including RTVS, TVP, Ceska TV, RDI and LTV.
From breathtaking landscapes to innovative urban ways of life, this series takes the viewer on an unprecedented aerial journey into the Japan of the 21st Century. This timely series revisits the vibrant sophistication of Japanese culture, at a time when all eyes are on the archipelago as host country of the 2020 Olympic Games.
Shot over four seasons with spectacular 4K aerial footage, it captures all the magic of the island nation, from the ephemeral cherry blossom to snowflakes falling on Mount Fuji. The stunning imagery will allow viewers to gauge the staggering progress that has been made in aerial filming in recent years.
“With Japan From Above, NHK and Gedeon embarked on a new challenge: using 4K cinematography to capture the breathtaking beauty of Japanese archipelago from the sky while, at the same time, providing the viewers with an up-close and personal experience with people that inhabit the islands. The result is a rare and intimate portrait of Japan that weaves the tale of geological dynamism together with personal stories of its inhabitants,” said Shin Yasuda, Executive Producer, NHK.
“Japan From Above is truly a breathtaking experience for the eyes and the soul. Our Director and the NHK team managed to record through 4 seasons and all around the archipelago, 4K material I’ve never seen before in my life. A delicate balance between storytelling and high level shooting not only to show; but to feel the uniqueness of this country,” said Nicolas Deschamps, Executive Producer, Gedeon.
“Japan From Above is an event production based on Gedeon's know-how in coproduction with NHK, recognized around the world for being at the forefront of shooting and broadcast technologies. This collaboration is once again a trusted partnership reflecting common editorial requirements,” said Marita Hübinger, Commissioning Editor, Head of Knowledge department at ZDF/Arte and Petra Boden, Commissioning Editor for ZDF/Arte.
“Japan From Above is the result of a strong collaboration between Voyage, the prestigious NHK and Gedeon,” said Marika Puiseux, Programming Director, Fox Networks Group France, Voyage.
“After last year’s highly successful premiere screening of ‘Tokyo Phoenix’, NHK is back in Cannes with this latest premium documentary, which underlines their faith in the event as a valuable launchpad for the global marketplace. It also illustrates the strong focus on international coproduction and co-development at MIPDoc 2018,” said Lucy Smith, Director of MIPDoc.
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