Zentropa Announces New Documentary Division Headed By Former Viaplay Exec
Danish film and TV company Zentropa, the more recent credits of which include Nikolaj Arcel’s historical drama The Promised Land and Lars Von Trier’s drama The Kingdom, is moving into documentary.
The company has unveiled the launch of Zentropa Documentary, which will be headed by award-winning documentary filmmaker Nicole Horanyi.
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The new division will develop and produce documentary content in all formats, with details of first titles expected early next year.
Horanyi has worked across documentary features and series withcredits including Motley’s Law(2015) on DR (Danish Broadcasting Corporation), A Stranger Moves In (2017) on TV 2 Denmark, and Natascha Kampusch – A Lifetime in Prison (2022) on Viaplay.
Additionally, she was Head of Documentaries at Viaplay in 2022 and 2023, overseeing the streaming service’s documentary efforts across all markets (Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Poland, and the Netherlands).
During her tenure, she was responsible for producing documentaries such as The Danish Prime Minister: Helle Thorning-Schmidt, Most Remote Restaurant in the World, and Max Verstappen – Anatomy of a Champion.
“I am tremendously happy to step into this exceptional institution. Zentropa possesses a truly unique quality and a very strong brand; therefore, I am convinced that together, we can open doors for the best documentary filmmakers in the industry,” said Horanyi.
“We share a vision of creating broad, audience-oriented documentary productions grounded in solid artistic principles. I am passionate about developing modern and complex narratives about reality that set a national agenda and leave a lasting impact on society.”
Zentropa producers Sisse Graum Jørgensen and Louise Vesth, who are part of Zentropa’s management team, explained the thinking behind the creation of the new division.
“In today’s world, fostering dialogue, community and understanding is crucial for shaping the world we live in. Documentary filmmaking is one of the strongest tools we have to achieve this,” they said.
“At Zentropa, we aim to develop and produce authentic stories in collaboration with strong artistic talents who aspire to reach broad audiences – both nationally and internationally. Already distributing feature films and series worldwide, we also seek to contribute to Denmark’s impressive position in documentary film and series production.”
Susan Wendt, Managing Director of sales arm TrustNordisk, said the documentaries would be a welcome addition to the sales slate.
“This venture enhances our portfolio, especially within documentaries, that deliver powerful storytelling to global audiences. We look forward to incorporating this new addition and bringing it to the international market,” she said.
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