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Broadcasters / WDR / Wdr Menschen Hautnah

WDR

Wdr Menschen Hautnah

Format

Portrait documentary / reportage

Length

45 min

Timeslot

Thursday 22:45 (Menschen hautnah)

Exposé length

3–5 pages

Editorial tone

Empathetic, respectful, close. Menschen hautnah tells private life stories with deep empathy. No voyeurism — genuine interest in the person. The camera is present without intruding. Silent moments are allowed. Protagonists retain their dignity. Transformation and hope resonate, even in difficult subjects.

What this format covers

  • ●Private life crises: illness, loss, separation, debt
  • ●New beginnings and turning points in life
  • ●Family stories and generational conflicts
  • ●Unusual life choices and decisions
  • ●Care, aging, dying — told with dignity
  • ●Love, partnership, loneliness
  • ●Migration and arrival from personal perspective

What this format does NOT want

  • ●Celebrity portraits
  • ●Investigative formats or political reportage
  • ●Topics without personal protagonist access
  • ●Entertainment formats or docu-soaps
  • ●Historical documentaries
  • ●Purely informative formats without emotional arc
  • ●Sensationalist or voyeuristic approaches

Visual expectations

Close, observational, respectful. Long takes that give space. Handheld camera in intimate situations, calm camera movement in quiet moments. Natural light, authentic environments. No staged situations. The protagonist sets the pace. Reference: documentary film tradition, not TV reportage.

Expected exposé structure

  1. Title (emotional, concrete, no wordplay)
  2. Logline (2–3 sentences: who, what crisis/turning point, what's at stake)
  3. Expose body text: tell the protagonist's story
  4. Protagonist(s) with detailed biography and current conflict
  5. Narrative arc: where does the protagonist stand, where is the journey heading?
  6. Access and trust relationship with protagonist
  7. Director, production company, contact

Example productions

  • Menschen hautnah: Mama trinkt — Kinder zwischen Liebe und Verzweiflung
  • Menschen hautnah: Neustart mit 50 — Wenn das alte Leben nicht mehr passt
  • Menschen hautnah: Mein Sohn, der Neonazi
  • Menschen hautnah: Allein mit drei Kindern
  • Menschen hautnah: Die letzte Reise — Sterben in Wuerde

Editorial notes

Supplier: WDR (in-house and external productions). Menschen hautnah is one of Germany's most distinguished portrait formats. External production companies can pitch topics. Critical: access to protagonist and clear narrative arc. No celebrities — it's about ordinary people in extraordinary situations. Protagonist must be in a state of development, not static. The commissioning desk places great emphasis on respectful storytelling.

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