AMERICAN HEROES CHANNEL SECURES EXCLUSIVE NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE OF "SURRENDER," DOCUMENTING WWII'S FINAL BATTLES AND THE FIRST STEPS INTO A NEW WORLD
-- The Major International Co-Production Will Premiere on American Heroes Channel as a
Two-Part Special in Spring 2015, Commemorating the 70th Anniversary of VE Day --
(Pasadena, Cal.) - It's May 1945. The Reich that was intended to last a millennium has collapsed after a decade of depravity and abuse. In the United States, Europe, and the Soviet Union, the playing field has been redrawn. Oppressed people cast off the chains of brutality. Borders are redefined. Beyond the ruins, the world must reinvent itself. Relying solely on contemporaneous archival material to illustrate the monumental moment in time when the Axis army surrendered, the new documentary SURRENDER gives history a deeply human face and voice that conveys the raw emotion and real-time perspective faced by the entire human race all those years ago. Produced by Roche Productions and TF1 and distributed by Terranoa, the major international co-production of SURRENDER will premiere exclusively in North America on the American Heroes Channel in spring 2015 as a two-part special to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day.
SURRENDER captures the saga that unfolded during the final episodes of World War II and the first steps into a new world: from the German counter-offensive in the Ardennes in the winter of 1944 to VE Day on May 8, 1945, ending the war in Europe. Using colorized and sound-designed archives remastered in HD, the documentary transports viewers into those crucial months when the fate of entire populations was disrupted.
"We are losing 'the Greatest Generation' with each day that passes, making 2015 - the 70th anniversary of VE Day - a landmark occasion to reflect on and preserve the oral history of this iconic chapter in world events," said Kevin Bennett, general manager of American Heroes Channel. "Decades after humanity was torn apart by its differences, SURRENDER will be seen in countries around the world, with AHC presenting it exclusively for audiences in North America, to unite a new generation as they experience the emotion felt by their grandparents and great-grandparents."
Between chaotic times and new hopes, stories of everyday experiences are told by ordinary men and women, soldiers and civilians from all countries involved, caught up in these defining moments. As five years of war drew to a close, violence became concentrated, distilled and harsher than ever, but there were islands of humanity in the ocean of horror. People everywhere turned away from despair to face new, better horizons. Personal stories of those who were there for the war's end are brought back to life through letters, personal diaries and accounts reported by newspapers and radio broadcasts of the times, their untold stories describing fear and hope, anguish and joy. The men and women featured in SURRENDER come from all the countries involved and include: BBC war correspondent Robert Reid, who covered daily events in Germany; U.S. soldier Theodore Paluch, who fought on the frontline at the Battle of the Bulge; and Elena Rjevskaia of the USSR, who worked as an interpreter and took part in the discovery and identification of the bodies of Adolf Hitler, Eva Braun, and Joseph Goebbels.
SURRENDER is distributed by Terranoa, with Isabelle Graziadey as head of sales and acquisitions in Paris, France main office and represented in North America by Laetitia Giansily-Doyle. The two-part series is produced by Roche Productions and TF1 with Dominique Tibi as executive producer and Jean-Fran�ois Delassus as director. For American Heroes Channel, Sara Kozak is senior vice president of production, Kevin Bennett is general manager, and Henry Schleiff is Group President, Investigation Discovery, Destination America, American Heroes Channel, Discovery Life Channel and Discovery Family Channel.
About Terranoa
As one of the leading independent distributor of factual content serving the international market, Terranoa invests in completed productions and helps gap finance the best projects scouted on the international market. They bring their 15 year-expertise and seasoned sales team to independent producers worldwide and offer broadcasters a wide ranging choice of carefully selected content. Isabelle Graziadey is Terranoa's head of Sales and acquisition and is represented in North America by Laetitia Giansily-Doyle, based in Maryland (DC metro area).
About Roche Productions
ROCHE Productions is an independent production company created by Dominique Tibi in 1994. Roche films and documentary series mainly focus on history and geopolitics. Three times nominated for Best Documentary Producer by French TV professionals, Dominique Tibi has worked for almost fifteen years with renowned directors such as: William Karel (Looking for Sarkozy - 1929 - Empire State Building Murders- My Dad is into Terrorism... ), Jean-Charles Deniau (The Last Days of USSR - The Secret Nuremberg Notebooks),Philippe Saada (Drancy 1941-1944, the internment camp next door - Stalin's Last Plot), Jean-Fran�ois Delassus (The Farewel Files), Nino Kirtadzé (The Pipeline Next Door), Patrick Jeudy (A Bomber Named Lily... ), Pavel Lounguine (The Moscow Skyscraper), among others.
About the TF1 group
The remit of the TF1 media group (NYSE Euronext Paris : FR0000054900 / TFI) is to inform and entertain. The group operates and develops four freeview channels and several special-interest pay-TV channels as well as their digital offshoots. The TF1 group's businesses today cover the entire audiovisual value chain. France's leading mainstream television group, TF1 is also an integrated media group that has developed activities in high-growth segments for a number of years. Find out more at www.groupe-tf1.fr.
About American Heroes Channel
American Heroes Channel (AHC) is a network from Discovery Communications that tells timeless stories in which a challenge appears - be it a situation or a villain - and a hero arises. Currently in 60 million homes, AHC provides a rare glimpse into major events that shaped our world, visionary leaders and unexpected heroes who made a difference, and the great defenders of our freedom. For more information, please visit AHCtv.com, facebook.com/AHCtelevision, or Twitter.com/AHC_TV . American Heroes Channel is part of Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the world's #1 pay-tv programmer reaching nearly 3 billion cumulative subscribers in 220 countries and territories.
About Discovery Communications
Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) is the world's #1 pay-TV programmer reaching nearly 3 billion cumulative subscribers in more than 220 countries and territories. Discovery is dedicated to satisfying curiosity, engaging and entertaining viewers with high-quality content on worldwide television networks, led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Investigation Discovery and Science, as well as U.S. joint venture network OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. Discovery also controls Eurosport International, a premier sports entertainment group, including six pay-TV network brands across Europe and Asia. Discovery also is a leading provider of educational products and services to schools, including an award-winning series of K-12 digital textbooks, through Discovery Education, and a digital leader with a diversified online portfolio, including Discovery Digital Networks. For more information, please visit www.discoverycommunications.com.
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