Arte Grosser Dokumentarfilm

Editorial tone

Cinematic, auteur-driven, distinctive. ARTE's documentary flagship. Exceptional dramaturgy and personal signature. Wide thematic range — from the intimate to the geopolitical. Cinematic in the best sense: these films belong on the big screen and on television equally. Bold, idiosyncratic, unmistakable.

What this format covers

• ●Wide thematic range — no content restrictions
• ●Auteur films with personal signature and vision
• ●Social, political, cultural, existential subjects
• ●International locations and perspectives
• ●Cinema-ready documentaries
• ●Innovative documentary forms and storytelling approaches

What this format does NOT want

• ●Conventional TV documentaries without cinematic ambition
• ●Talking-head formats or expert-knowledge delivery
• ●Commissioned work without auteur signature
• ●Short formats or series episodes
• ●Tabloid or sensationalist treatment
• ●Films without cinematic quality

Visual expectations

Cinema quality is a prerequisite. Distinctive visual signature of the auteur. Cinematic visual language, considered framing, lighting design. The film must carry visually even without commentary. Reference: festival documentaries (Cannes, Berlin, Sundance, IDFA). No TV aesthetics.

Expected exposé structure

1. Title (strong, distinctive)
2. Logline (2–3 sentences: core of the film)
3. Synopsis / treatment as cinematic narrative
4. Director's statement / auteur intention
5. Visual and narrative strategy
6. Access to protagonists and locations
7. Reference films and festival strategy
8. Director filmography and production company

Example productions

• Kreuzweg — Stations of the Cross
• Ai Weiwei — Human Flow
• Buena Vista Social Club
• Die Abenteuer des Prinzen Achmed (Restaurierung)
• Welcome to Sodom — Dein Smartphone ist schon hier