MUMBAI: Lightworks Programme Distribution (LPD) has announced that filmmaker Michael Apted's Being Married will headline its slate of programmes to be presented at next month's television trade event Mipcom.
The event takes place in Cannes, France from 9-11 October 2006.
Being Married is a reality TV alternative which takes a look at the courtship, marriage, and progression of nine couples. Combining interviews with footage of the couples on dates, interaction with their families, the actual wedding ceremonies, and the challenges they experience five years after the wedding, the film provides a fascinating perspective on the cultural phenomenon of marriage in the 21st Century.
Being Married is inspired by Michael Apted's 7/UP, which began in 1964 and is considered to be the greatest longitudinal documentary effort of all time, according to a panel of 400 UK filmmakers assembled by Channel 4. Currently the president of the Director's Guild of America, Apted's career spans documentaries and features.
LPD executive VP and MD John Cuddihy says, "Michael Apted's accomplishments, including his past and present films, are of the highest quality and we are delighted to be associated with him.
"The documentary leverages the endless and timeless fascination with what makes lasting relationships work and reflects the most significant ways in which marriage and relationships are being challenged and re-defined. Lightworks Program Distribution's library consists of bold, entertaining programmes which convey the challenges of today's world. I am confident that Being Married will captivate viewers world-wide and will be a worthy addition to our award- winning library."
In the first installment of Being Married nine soon-to-be-married couples discuss their relationships, their decision to get married, their backgrounds, their views on sex, divorce and their expectations and dreams for the future. The second installment revisits each of the 9 couples to find out how their lives have changed and how their relationships
progressed in the first five years of married life.
Despite their cultural, geographical, and socio-economical differences, each of the couples-regardless of age or sexual orientation, face similar challenges within a marriage: the stresses of jobs, living situations, and in some cases, children.
Lightworks Enterprises, president and CEO David Dreilinger says, "We could not be more pleased to work with Michael Apted on this project, produced in the style that he pioneered. This is a further indication of the growth of our organisation and the caliber of award-winning talent that is involved in our programmes.."
Being Married will premiere in prime time on Hallmark next year.
