German, French Channels Board Ukrainian War Series ‘In Her Car’
France Télévisions, Germany’s ZDFneo and international sales group Beta Film have boarded In Her Car, a new high-end drama series from Ukrainian producer Starlight Media and Narcos producer Gaumont set in the early days of the war in Ukraine.
The project, which was presented to international buyers and partners at the MIPTV market in Cannes in April, is a 10-part series focused on Lydia, a local therapist who, in the days following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, uses her car to shuttle various people to safety. Each episode of the series sees Lydia, played by How is Katia? star Anastasia Karpenko transporting a new passenger and hearing their story of resilience and human drama. Initiated by showrunner Eugen Tunik with Starlight, In Her Car is currently shooting in undisclosed locations in and around Kyiv. Gaumont partnered with Starlight to co-produce and help secure international financing for the project.
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“Working with Eugen and the team of Starlight Media on this show is a great experience and privilege for us. We admire the courage of our Ukrainian partners to realize a series under the given conditions on location,” said Andreas F. Bareiss of Gaumont, an executive producer on In Her Car. “Thank God there have been no major incidents during the shoot so far, and we are doing our best to ensure the safety of the shooting. With Anastasia Karpenko in the lead, we have found the perfect match for the role of Lydia. Her acting performance goes straight to the heart, the first images are breathtaking.”
France Télévisions and ZDF have joined the series as co-producers. Beta Film will handle international sales for the series.
“In Her Car emphasizes the power of human stories that cut through borders and conflicts,” said Veronika Kovacova, Beta’s executive vp, international sales and acquisitions for Central and Eastern Europe. “The courage, commitment, and professionalism of the talented creatives involved in the realization of In Her Car under the most difficult conditions is more than impressive. At Beta Film, we are proud to stand with Starlight Media, Gaumont, ZDFneo and France Télévisions, on this truly meaningful production and are sure that In Her Car will travel the world.”
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