Market digests Depardieu food doc series

A culinary-themed documentary series starring French actor Gerard Depardieu launches at MIPTV next week.

Internationally the show will be titled Bon Appetit: Gerard Depardieu’s Europe, and is sold by France-based distributor Balanga.

The 10x52mins series is known in France as A Pleines Dents!, and comes from producer Laura Briand and Les Films d’Ici 2.

Arte in France, Planete+, SBS in Australia, TV5 in Canada and Globo in Brazil have already secured the show ahead of its delivery in September, and Balanga said discussions in “many” other territories were set to conclude in Cannes. Sky in the UK had been named a buyer in the international press previously, but it is understood these talks are still ongoing.

The doc follows Depardieu as he travels through different European regions, each episode with friends such as Philipp Kerr and Eduoard Baer, to find the best local specialty dishes.

Five episodes in France, Scotland, the French Basque region and north and south Italy have been completed, with another five currently in production.

Balanga is billing the series as “about the finest food, splendid regions and pleasures in life”.

Paris-based Balanga was launched by former Upside Distribution acquisitions and sales chief Christophe Bochnacki.