International distributor Balanga has announced its first major international sales of its documentary “Beasts of the Colosseum,” produced by Antoine Henriquet’s AH! Production and Jean-Luc Berlot’s Adline for Novo 19 in France, in association with Mediaset in Italy.
ZDF/Terra X in Germany, SVT in Sweden and Radio-Canada have acquired the history documentary, which tells the story of the Venationes in Ancient Rome, extraordinary battles that featured exotic wild beasts instead of gladiators. Using extensive historical research and AI-driven reenactments, the doc describes the intricate system created to capture and transport thousands of animals from across the Roman Empire to fight in the Colosseum games.
Christophe Bochnacki, President of Balanga
“I believe we are entering a new generation of history documentaries. AI gives us the ability to bring stories, places and historical worlds to the screen that were previously beyond the economics of documentary production. For international audiences, that creates a new level of immersion and visual ambition,” said Christophe Bochnacki, President of Balanga.
“The film explores the moment when nature stopped being simply observed or studied, and began to be staged, dramatized and consumed as entertainment,” Bochnacki added.
The doc world premiered out of competition at the Cannes AI Film Festival, and will have its first screening for international buyers at the Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Le Havre on September 8.
Producer Enora Contant, ‘Beasts of the Colosseum’
Variety had a chance to interview the doc’s producer, Enora Contant, ahead of its screening at Unifrance Rendez-Vous.
Why did you decide to make a documentary about the Venationes?
Enora Contant: Like many viewers, I was deeply struck by the tiger scene in Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator.” It brought back those stories we first encounter at school – of men being thrown to wild beasts in Roman arenas – which fascinate us as much as they terrify us. And yet, one question is rarely asked: Where did all these animals come from? We know a great deal about the fate of the men who took part in the Roman games, but far less about the animals themselves.
Why do you think there was such a fascination with the Venationes in ancient Rome?
Contant: The games were at the heart of Roman social and political life. They offered an extraordinary collective spectacle, but they were also a demonstration of power. Bringing lions, elephants, bears or crocodiles to Rome from the furthest reaches of the Empire was a way of displaying the extent of the world Rome had conquered. As Katia Schörle, one of the experts featured in the film, explains, wild animals embodied a world that was both magnificent and terrifying. By exhibiting and then dominating them in the arena, Rome was symbolically asserting its mastery over nature itself.
Can you elaborate on how you used AI in the documentary?
Contant: We used AI to create all the historical reenactments: the capture expeditions, the transportation of the animals, the backstage areas of the Colosseum and the spectacles inside the arena. Every sequence is developed from rigorous historical research. The settings, costumes, animals, props and gestures are all checked by historians. Working with generative AI is actually an extremely hands-on process. It still struggles with precise shot duration, complex movements, character continuity and continuity between shots. We constantly have to work around these limitations through directing and editing – changing an angle, breaking an action into several shots, moving from a close-up to a wide shot. Sometimes, a technical limitation actually leads us to find a stronger visual solution.
Do you think AI is the future of how documentaries will be created?
Contant: There will always be many different forms of documentary, just as fiction ranges from intimate films to major blockbusters. AI will not replace a director’s vision, investigative work or the filming of reality. But for the first time, documentaries have visual tools that can allow them to compete with fiction in terms of immersion and spectacle. Until now, CGI reenactments were often constrained by budgets far below those of cinema or video games. AI is radically changing that. I don’t think it will become the norm across every documentary genre. Social-issue documentaries, archive-based films and wildlife films operate according to very different principles. But for ambitious historical, scientific and factual storytelling, it opens up an extraordinary new creative territory.
What are some of the historical facts about the Venationes that most surprised you?
Contant: One of the first things I discovered was that the men who fought animals were not gladiators. There was another category of fighters: the Venatores, hunters specially trained to capture wild animals and confront them in staged combats in the arena. Some became genuine stars and drew huge crowds.
I was also surprised to learn that the Roman army was involved in capturing animals. Soldiers used their expertise in strategy, logistics and siege techniques not only for warfare, but also for this vast entertainment industry.
But what probably struck me most was discovering the ecological impact of this entertainment industry. By capturing and killing animals by the thousands over several centuries, Rome contributed to the extinction of certain species, including, for example, the North African elephant. It is one of the earliest known examples of a civilization putting such intense pressure on wildlife purely for the purpose of entertainment.