Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi’s film, which chronicles the attempt by 64-year-old swimmer Diana Nyad to swim from Cuba to Florida, unspools at the Zurich Film Festival. Zurich Avenue co-developed the Netflix film, which was produced by Black Bear Pictures and Mad Chance.
Spoerrie says he and Vezzani are especially interested in projects based on true stories, like “Nyad,” that have “emotional and inspirational angles and are filmmaker-driven. We really like working with great filmmakers. That’s the main thing. When we develop something, that’s where we want to go.” Schwentke has “Bad Company” largely written, but Spoerrie says more will be added to the story as it’s still developing. “It’s getting updated. We’ll probably need another year for that one – it’s so fascinating what is still coming out. I think we shouldn’t rush it. You don’t want to miss all the craziness that is there,” he says.
The series, which has playwright Nicki Bloom attached as lead writer, will examine a little-explored chapter of German history, namely its colonial past – Cameroon was a German colony from 1884 to 1920.