Arte Donnerstagsdoku

Editorial tone

Emotional, story-driven, character-driven. In contrast to the analytical Tuesday history slot, this is about experiencing, not understanding. High popularity, primetime-ready. Stories that move, surprise, captivate. High-gloss production. Each film must work as a standalone — no series.

What this format covers

• ●Recent history that belongs in collective memory
• ●Popular science — emotionally told
• ●Character-driven stories with social relevance
• ●Events that shaped a generation
• ●Surprising turns in familiar stories
• ●Borderland history/society/science

What this format does NOT want

• ●Analytical history documentaries (belong on ARTE Geschichte)
• ●Series or multi-parters — each film must be standalone
• ●Academic or dry presentations
• ●Topics without emotional access or without protagonists
• ●Purely investigative formats
• ●Topics that won't reach a primetime audience

Visual expectations

High-gloss execution, primetime quality. Elaborate reconstructions, high-quality archive material, strong on-camera protagonists. Cinematographic visual language. Emotional staging without manipulation. Music as dramatic device. Reference: Netflix documentaries in quality, ARTE in editorial stance.

Expected exposé structure

1. Title + subtitle (emotional, curiosity-inducing)
2. Logline (2–3 sentences: who experiences what, why it matters)
3. Exposé body text as cinematic narrative — story-driven
4. Protagonist(s) with personal story
5. Narrative arc and turning points
6. Visual execution / production concept
7. Production company, author, contact

Example productions

• Tchernobyl — Die Nacht, die alles veränderte
• Colonia Dignidad — Aus dem Innern einer deutschen Sekte
• Flick — Die Geschichte eines deutschen Vermögens
• Der Untergang der Concordia
• Wirecard — Die Milliarden-Lüge