Japanese pay-TV broadcaster WOWOW is to partnering on Martin Scorsese and David Tedeschi’s documentary The New York Review of Books: A 50 Year Argument.

WOWOW joins HBO Documentary Films, BBC Arena and Scorsese’s Sikelia Productions as co-production partners in the film. Margaret Bodde is producing with Scorsese and Tedeschi. Kayo Washio, who runs WOWOW’s Los Angeles office, is executive producer for WOWOW, Anthony Wall is executive producer for BBC Arena.

International sales company Cinephil (Cathedrals of Culture) is handling international sales and will be introducing the project this week to international buyers at MipTV in Cannes. The deal was negotiated by Kayo Washio and Philippa Kowarsky of Cinephil.

The documentary, which screened as a work-in-progress at the Berlinale in February, looks at the eponymous US journal of ideas, which was founded during the New York City newspaper strike of 1963. It promises rare archival material, contributor interviews, and excerpts from writers such as as James Baldwin, Gore Vidal and Joan Didion, with original vérité footage filmed in the Review‘s New York office.

WOWOW will serve as co-producer of the documentary and retains Japanese rights. No broadcasting date for the documentary has been set at this time.

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