My Otter Diary producers team with NHK to bring doc to Japan

Oxford Scientific Films has teamed with All3Media International, NHK Japan and Aranya Parva Creations to create a 90-minute version of feature doc My Otter Diary for the Japanese market.

The doc follows wildlife filmmaker and Nat Geo explorer Sugandhi Gadadhar over three years as she documents a family of otters in the Cauvery River, and the conflict between the animals and the fishermen whose livelihoods depend on one of India’s quickest changing waterways.

The original hour-long version of the film was commissioned by ZDF/Arte and made by Oxford Scientific, All3Media International and Gadadhar’s outfit Aranya Parva Creations. It recently aired on Arte and has now been sold to a number of markets, including a pan-territory deal with Viasat World for CEE, CIS, Baltics and Scandinavia, as well as to Portugal (RTP), Finland (YLE), and the US (via The Wonder Project available on Prime Video).

Anna Brett, director of operations at Oxford Scientific Films, said: “Sugandhi and Rana’s extraordinary access to the otters of the Cauvery offers a powerful story of nature, resilience and coexistence. NHK’s creative partnership allowed us to expand and deepen that story for Japanese audiences, and we are delighted to help bring this unique and beautiful film to an even wider global market.”

Masa Hayakawa, executive producer, NHK Cosmomedia America, added, “Having accompanied [Gadadhar] throughout her journey, I found myself deeply moved once more by the brilliance of life.

“Woven with beautiful images, music and her own narrative, this extraordinary story is sure to resonate deeply with Japanese audiences.”

All3MI’s Tony Ziran Tang, vice-president of sales, Asia – finished and formats, said films like My Otter Diary are “vital” in raising awareness of the complexity in the relationships between humans and animals who share the same environment.

He continued: “Using immersive storytelling and incredible visuals, acclaimed filmmaker Sugandhi Gadadhar takes viewers inside the lives of this captivating otter family, revealing both the beauty of their habitat and their conflict with the humans who also call it home…NHK remains one of the most important windows for natural history co-productions in Asia.”