🎤 In Conversation with Christophe Sommet - Groupe TF1

Sunny Side of the Doc is a strategic hub for international meetings and initiatives. As a long-time partner, what are your expectations for this year’s edition?

Sunny Side is an unmissable event for the documentary industry, and it’s important for TF1 Group’s thematic channels, Histoire TV and Ushuaïa TV, to be present. It’s always valuable to meet key players in the genre — both current and future partners, French and international — to get a sense of the major market trends. This year, we’ll take the opportunity to host a lunch presentation on Tuesday, June 24, to share our editorial strategy for documentary acquisition and production.

At Sunny Side of the Doc, openness to new forms of storytelling will be at the heart of the 36th edition. What new directions is your group currently exploring in documentary storytelling?

We’ve been exploring new storytelling formats on both channels for several years now. For instance, we recently collaborated with zoologist and YouTuber Yvan Kereun (over 420,000 subscribers to his channel “Animaux : mode d’emploi”) for Immersion sauvage : Yvan dans l’Ouest américain (Rétroviseur Productions, Eles Productions, JLA Productions), produced as part of Ushuaïa TV’s 20th anniversary in March.
After producing Nota Bene’s first TV documentary in 2024 about the Vikings, we’ll also be featuring the most-followed French history YouTuber (2.59 million subscribers) at the end of 2025 on Histoire TV with a new series: The Amazing History of the Romans (Indigènes Productions).

Ushuaïa TV is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. What’s your perspective on the channel’s journey and its ongoing partnership with Sunny Side?

On March 14, 2005, we took the bold step of launching Ushuaïa TV — a channel 100% dedicated to protecting the planet. Twenty years later, our mission remains the same: to inspire viewers while promoting a sense of collective responsibility. Ushuaïa TV has become a creative laboratory that quickly attracted many talents — writers, directors, producers — some of whom we first met at Sunny Side!
Today, as the climate emergency becomes more urgent than ever, Ushuaïa TV stays true to its commitment by raising awareness and promoting positive, actionable solutions.

Artificial intelligence is playing an increasingly important role in the documentary industry and will be central to the discussions at this year’s event. How do you view its place in documentary storytelling today?

AI helps overcome a major challenge in the documentary field: the lack of illustrative footage. It can also enhance and enrich archival materials. It should be seen as a tool serving creative design — and its use must be supervised by experts who can ensure the accuracy of the content.
That’s exactly what we’re doing in the series Knut, the Viking Emperor (ZED), which has just entered production. All historical sequences in the series will be recreated using advanced generative AI software, aiming for a striking level of visual realism.

What kinds of projects or international collaborations are you looking to foster this year at Sunny Side of the Doc?

Our channels work with both French and international partners through coproductions, pre-buys and acquisitions. Considering international reach from the production stage is key — it helps shape the program to meet the expectations of different markets and secure the necessary pre-financing to raise production value.

🎤 In Conversation with Christophe Sommet – Groupe TF1