Hot Picks: Escape From Chernobyl: 48 Hours That Changed The World

Diving into a pivotal 48-hour period, this doc explores how a fateful safety test led to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant explosion in Ukraine in 1986. It then tracks the work of the courageous divers who risked their lives to prevent a second, far more catastrophic blast, and the subsequent evacuation of 50,000 people from the city of Pripyat.

The doc stood out to Poppy McAlister, head of TVF International, when she was pitched it by producer Like A Shot at the Realscreen Summit because, she says, it spoke to current world events, with the ongoing war in Ukraine, and the repercussions from the disaster are still being felt today.

Like A Shot’s recent two-part doc, 24 Hours That Changed the World – also produced with Channel 4 and SBS – showed TVFI the strength in the ticking-clock format and, McAlister says, she knew Escape From Chernobyl would be of the same high quality.

“Even though the disaster was 40 years ago, the way that Like A Shot has used this 48-hour timeline helps capture the reality of what people were going through in a real-time way, which adds a lot of jeopardy,” she explains.

Next year marks four decades since the disaster and, while McAlister acknowledges it is “well-trodden ground” and there will likely be many anniversary pieces about the disaster, she believes Escape From Chernobyl sets itself apart in the way it is produced. The 48-hour countdown adds an urgency to the film, while the testimonies of those who lived through it offer a human perspective.

“The access it has to workers, first responders and civilians is really heartbreaking but impressive,” McAlister adds.

“Many of the people who were interviewed travelled back to Chernobyl for the first time since the disaster to tell their story. It’s really emotional and evocative.”

The timing of the doc’s pitch to McAlister was fortuitous, with the exec on the hunt for an anniversary doc about Chernobyl to fill a gap in the distributor’s catalogue. C4’s involvement helped seal the deal as its Secret History strand retells famous historical events in a “tasteful way”.

This blend of history with world affairs makes it an attractive proposition for broadcasters looking for anniversary pieces about the disaster and those who “just like to dive into history”.

Kaye Warren, non-scripted acquisitions manager at SBS Australia, says the “landmark documentary” will form “a key component of our 40th anniversary Chernobyl season”.

McAlister confirms there have been some pre-sale offers in Europe and says she believes the doc will resonate strongly in Europe and Asia Pacific. The ambition, she says, is for Escape From… to become a returnable format, and Like A Shot is in discussions with broadcasters about other docs that uncover human stories through disasters.

She adds: “We have some incredible contributions in Escape From Chernobyl, and that’s important. Keeping that aspect of the production alive would be key [to new projects].”