The Pilot Programme for Series Co-Productions, in collaboration with the 2024 World Forum for Democracy, hosted the Forum Talk “The Kollective: fighting for truth in a world of deception”, on 7 November 2024 at the Palais de l’Europe in Strasbourg.

Moderated by European journalist Alex Taylor, the talk featured Randa Chahoud, director of The Kollective; Morad Koufane, Head of International Scripted at France TV; and Matjaž Gruden, Director for Democracy at the Council of Europe.

Gruden commended the series, produced by Submarine, known for Bellingcat: Truth in a Post-Truth World. He highlighted its focus on independent journalism and citizen activism, vital themes for protecting freedom of speech and democracy.

"This TV series and today’s session resonate and raise every level of what we really do at the Council of Europe. It is the power of storytelling, in transmitting our values and trying the inspire people that is extremely powerful and essential to democracies. […] Those who try to undermine democracies have understood the importance of storytelling, controlling narrative for their political and ideological paradigm to polarize democracies. We work on creating the circumstances in which art and culture can bring people together, opening up to learn about others, to questions ourselves, to comment or criticize.”

The discussion delved into the series' development and the collaborative efforts of European broadcasters like France TV, ZDF and RAI. As the daughter of a political Syrian opponent and a political scientist, Chahoud described the project as a blend of entertainment and meaningful discourse. “Through relatable, flawed characters, we explore the emotional struggles of truth-seekers, encouraging viewers to reflect on their own values,” she said, further underlining that the characters “look for the truth, who don’t know if they are right or wrong, reflecting who we are so we can connect with them”

Morad Koufane highlighted the unique partnership backing the series: "France TV ensures creative freedom for artists while providing audiences with complementary content to deepen their understanding," he explained.

Audience engagement extended beyond the panel, with Slovakia’s Youth Council delegate, Martina Tothova, stressing the importance to engage publicly with independent journalists to avoid relying solely on selective channels which could pose a serious threat to the long-term viability of democracies, pointing that TV series such as The Kollective can spark conversations and drive impact where fact-checking alone falls short..

Matjaž Gruden reinforced the importance of such initiatives, adding: “That is why the longstanding work of Eurimages has done is important as it has helped independent film production to continue and survive in Europe, managing to reflect the cultural diversity but also the diversity of views, opinions and themes that would otherwise be ignored or sidelined. Extending the activity to series is a logical step to Eurimages’ support fund, underlining the Pilot Programme for Series Co-Productions’ importance.”

The event concluded with ideas from the attendees, suggesting the series be used as educational material or in broader outreach programmes.

The Kollective, starring Natascha McElhone, Celine Buckens and Felix Mayr, premiers in early 2025 with a release calendar that includes France TV, ZDF, RAI and global streaming platforms. The series promises its audience a thrilling story that will question their own involvement in taking part into today’s real challenges to protect democracies.

The series is produced by Submarine and is financially supported by Creative Europe - Media programme of the European Union, Council of Europe Pilot Programme for Series Co-Productions and the Netherlands Film Fund.

The panel replay is available on the World Forum for Democracy's platform.