Korean documentary series to receive global distribution

Image shows the cast of SBS' documentary "Guardian of Tundra" (SBS)

Two Korean documentaries, “Guardians of Tundra” and “The Era of Library,” have signed agreements with overseas content distributors during the 38th International Co-Production and Entertainment Content Market (MIPCOM), the Ministry of Science and ICT said Thursday.

According to the ministry, terrestrial broadcaster SBS’ documentary series “Guardians of Tundra” signed a letter of intent with the European production company Off the Fence.

Supported by the Science Ministry, the four-part ultra high-definition documentary will have a localized remake and be distributed to global streaming services, including the BBC, Discovery+, Netflix and more.

Narrated by top actor Ko Hyun-jung, the 240-minute series is a sequel to SBS' 2010-documentary “The Inheritors of Tundra,” which portrayed the life of 7- to 8-year-old nomads living in Siberia.

“Guardians of Tundra” once again features the lives of those children, who the Korean staff met 11 years ago, presenting how climate change and gas exploration in the region affected their lives.

Magenta Company, the production company behind “The Era of Library,” signed an agreement with British documentary and factual entertainment distributor TVF International for global promotion and distribution of Magenta Company’s content as well.

“The Era of Library,” an award-winning documentary of 2021 New York International Film Festival, explores the role of libraries in the digital world.

Poster image of "The Era of Library" (Magenta Company)

The two-part series focuses on renowned libraries across the globe, including the Vatican Library and Denmark's Black Diamond Library.

MIPCOM, which was held from Oct. 17-20, is one of the world’s largest annual broadcasting content markets. It is held in Cannes, France, each year to source international production partnerships and set the development agenda for the future.

The Science Ministry held an exhibition booth Korea New-Tech Showcase, promoting 28 local content production companies and their work.

By Lee Si-jin(sj_lee@heraldcorp.com)