TVREAL ARTE Distribution Goes Big on Escapism ADVERTISEMENT The theme of “discovery” is one that runs through a large swath of factual genres, and content with this exploratory backbone has been in high demand as of late, according to Florence Sala, head of ARTE Distribution. “The leading programs are ones that have never been seen before; that go into never-shown places and highlight new experiences,” she says. “Natural history and animal documentaries are also attractive for the audience, with a new shift toward drama-style storytelling. This narrative shift can also be noticed among history and social-history factual.” ARTE Distribution has also seen a growing interest in health and wellbeing documentaries. In terms of social themes, there is a worldwide appetite for documentaries about female empowerment and minorities’ issues and stories.