France Télévisions, the German ZDFneo and the international sales group Beta Film have joined In her cara new high-end drama series from Ukrainian producer Starlight Media and Narcos producer Gaumont is set in the early days of the war in Ukraine.
The project, which was presented to international buyers and partners at MIPTV Market in Cannes in April, is a 10-part series focusing on Lydia, a local therapist who, in the days following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, uses her car to bring different people to safety. Each episode of the series sees Lydia, played by How is Katie? star Anastasia Karpenko carries a new passenger and hears their story of resilience and human drama. Initiated by showrunner Eugen Tunik with Starlight, In her car currently filming in secret locations in and around Kiev. Gaumont teamed up with Starlight to co-produce and help secure international funding for the project.
“Working with Eugen and the team at Starlight Media on this show has been an amazing experience and a privilege for us. We admire the courage of our Ukrainian partners to realize a series on location under the circumstances,” said Andreas F. Bareiss of Gaumont, an executive producer of In her car. “Thank God there have been no major incidents during the shooting so far and we are doing our best to ensure the safety of the shooting. With Anastasia Karpenko in the lead role, we found the perfect match for the role of Lydia. Her acting performance goes straight to the heart, the first images are breathtaking.”
France Télévisions and ZDF have joined the series as co-producers. Beta Film will handle international sales for the series.
“In her car highlights the power of human stories that transcend boundaries and conflict,” said Veronika Kovacova, Beta’s executive vp, international sales and acquisitions for Central and Eastern Europe. “The courage, commitment and professionalism of the talented creatives involved in the realization of In her car under the most difficult conditions is more than impressive. At Beta Film we are proud to stand with Starlight Media, Gaumont, ZDFneo and France Télévisions for this truly meaningful production and we are confident that In her car will travel the world.”
