Globo and the BBC sign their first co-production agreement for a series on the Amazon

Brazilian company Globo, Latin America’s largest production force, and BBC Studios have struck a historic co-production deal for an upcoming documentary series that will “transport audiences into the heart” of Brazil’s vast Amazon rainforest. The co-production agreement strengthens Brazil’s current global dynamic. This year, Globo-backed Walter Salles’ “I’m Still Here” made history as the country’s first Oscar-winning film, and Kleber Mendonça Filho’s “The Secret Agent” won two awards at the Cannes Film Festival, where Brazil was also the country of honor at the Marché du Film.

The series, details of which are still being kept under wraps, will be produced by BBC Studios Specialist Factual Productions, and production will move forward at a time to be announced. BBC Studios has brought the parties together for this historic deal and will now sell the series worldwide.

Talk with VarietyJanet Brown, president of global content sales at BBC Studios, highlighted the collaborative nature of this landmark deal, which stems from a desire to work together to create the type of content that feels like “one plus one equals three.”

“This is not a co-production where we, the BBC, had a story and then went and found people to help finance it,” she stressed. “This has been a joint project from the beginning. In this case, it’s a story that comes naturally from Brazil. We’re bringing in the excellent specialist factual production team at BBC Studios to help us create and bring this story to life. As a sales team, we’re very excited to be doing what we always do in terms of taking content that is true to its country of origin and making it accessible and engaging for global audiences.”

Brown said the deal was “largely about our relationship with Globo,” a long-time partner in natural history and science. “Here we broaden and deepen it through a co-pro. That’s what you want with good relationships of any kind, right? You want to broaden and develop them, and that’s exactly what we do here.”

Gabriel Jacome, director of content at TV Globo, echoed Brown in saying that working with the BBC is “truly inspiring”. “Their legacy of creative excellence and editorial integrity has shaped generations of audiences and professionals around the world. But what excites us most is the potential for true exchange.”

“This is a partnership that amplifies distribution reach, fosters co-production opportunities and deepens our participation in global conversations on responsible communication, sustainability and inclusion,” he added. “Perhaps most importantly, it highlights the power of Brazilian creativity, capable of resonating far beyond our borders and reminding the world that compelling stories can both reflect and reshape societies. »

When it came to sorting out the logistics and bureaucracy of a first-of-its-kind deal, Brown says “it took a while.” “If you look at the type of co-pro relationship we have with a partner like ZDF, for example, those are well-known relationships. The first one always takes a minute. That’s one of the reasons we’re so excited, because we want to build from there. We’re bringing them together to make sure it will work both as a global production but also as content on their channel.”

On this subject, the director of the BBC adds that this initial project will be carried out on a “smaller scale” than some of the channel’s flagship projects, “so we are not running before we walk”. “It will be a much shorter show in terms of length, and the scope and scale of the story is very specific. We don’t need six episodes to tell this story. We’re excited to tell it with a shorter length that involves logistics and a budget that makes it a recipe for success for [our first project] then build it from there.

Asked about the historical trend of international companies from the United States and Europe telling stories about the Brazilian Amazon, Brown pointed out that the issue had been part of the discussions from the beginning, as well as how the BBC was working “not to fall into that and to make sure that the whole production is properly staffed and that we absolutely use the community. Otherwise it wouldn’t be interesting for us.”

“It’s all about working together with this authentic look from the Brazilian point of view,” she added. “We absolutely integrate that into our thinking about full logistics from the start. »

Jacome added that it is “essential” that stories about Brazil, and particularly the Amazon, “are told authentically, from the perspective of those who truly live and understand the region. For too long, international productions have looked down on these stories from above, capturing beautiful images but often missing the beat of the human heart that sustains this ecosystem.”

“As Brazil’s leading storyteller, Globo has both the responsibility and privilege to bring this local voice into the global conversation,” he acknowledged. “We know the people, the rhythms, the contradictions and the hope that define the Amazon. When I first traveled to the Amazon, I finally understood the strength, dignity and knowledge of the communities that live there. This experience completely changed my perception. That’s why I invited our colleagues at the BBC to go beyond the aerial view of the forest canopy and into the forest itself, to meet those who truly live, produce and protect this land. “