Exploration into 20th century Egyptian archaeological rush also sold to Finland and BBS Select for US/Canada
Woodcut Media’s latest colourised documentary about ancient Egypt has been pre-sold to a raft of countries, including Channel 4 in the UK and Australia’s SBS.
Two-part The Race for Ancient Egypt in Colour focuses on Egypt in the years between the World Wars. In 1922, Howard Carter’s discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb sparked a global interest in ancient Egypt, but the discovery came amid a period of rapid political change, with Egypt having won partial independence from Britain.
As its leaders sought greater control over foreign excavations, many Western archaeologists resisted, unwilling to relinquish their access to a past, and despite the crucial Egyptian contributions that went largely unrecognised, the race for ancient Egypt commenced.
The two-hour-long series also features other key findings made during this era, such as Queen Hetepheres’ tomb and Pierre Montet’s spectacular yet little-know discovery at Tanis, until the Second World War brought this golden age of historical exploration in Egypt to an end.
The doc was exec produced by Tom Adams and Kate Beal, with Andre Holzinger series producing. Woodcut International is handling global sales.
The Race for Ancient Egypt in Colour has also been pre-sold by Woodcut International to BBC Studios (for BBC Earth in Africa and the BBC Select streaming service in the US and Canada), AMC Networks International Southern Europe (for Canal Historia) and Finnish public broadcaster YLE.
The film is the latest in Woodcut’s catalogue of colourised history docs, following Titanic in Colour, Britain’s Railway Empire in Colour and The Manhattan Project in Colour.
Holzinger said: “It was fascinating to look back at this extraordinary period of discovery from a new perspective, to tell the lesser-known stories and bring them to audiences in a visually engaging and exciting way.”
Koulla Anastasi, managing director, Woodcut International, added: “We have seen a tremendous interest in this series, and are pleased to have finalised these presales. Bringing these incredible stories to life with the latest colourisation techniques, and Egyptology a source of fascination for centuries, we know broadcasters and audiences alike will find this two-part doc a real treasure trove.”
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