PBS Buys Dutch Dementia Doc ‘Human Forever’
EXCLUSIVE: PBS has picked up a Dutch documentary that follows Teun Toebes, a humanitarian activist known as ‘the Greta Thunberg of healthcare.’
Human Forever comes from indie Dutch producer Super7even Productions, which struck the deal directly with PBS. Other buyers unveiled today are SBS in Australia and RUV in Iceland, who joins the likes of France’s Arte, Belgium’s VRT and Netherlands streamer Videoland.
The doc has been released theatrically in more than 30 territories to date, and its producers claim it is the most-watched human interest doc in Dutch cinema history with nearly 80,000 watching theatrically.
In Human Forever, Toebes embarks on a three-year journey across four continents and 11 countries to improve the quality of life of people living with dementia. Travelling alongside director Jonathan de Jong, he explores how dementia is approached in different countries and what care pathways can be made to include as many people as possible.
The doc has led to policy discussions and informed educational programs at universities such as Tale, Cornell and Oxford, according to its makers.
On Thursday, de Jong and Toebes are releasing a related book, Human Forever: Searching the World for a Better Life with Dementia, via September Publishing. It looks at dementia care in four continents and countries such as South Africa, New Zealand Norway.
For PBS, the acquisition is a latest from the international docs market, and comes after the likes of The American Revolution last year, Skin of Glass in 2023 and Bombshell in 2019.
The news comes after Super7even founder de Jong announced a new venture, SuperIndie, with MN Media’s Jeffrey de Graaf, which is billed as an integrated studio for human interest, nature and social impact-driven docs and features for international audiences.
SuperIndie’s inaugural slate includes Human Forever sequel There is No Society, which we revealed in December last year, along with A Girl Like Rose, which looks at the life and career of Belgian supermodel Rose Bertram, and other doc titles including Patterns of Life, WOW! and Ecolopolis.
“It is so encouraging to see our film being appreciated, discussed and sought after by three major international broadcasting companies in different continents,” said de Jong. “We are thrilled that PBS, SBS and RÚV have recognised the potential in this story and its vital messages will be able to reach more people in the States, the Nordics and Australia.
“The film is rooted in our journey across different countries, and the questions it asks about ageing, dementia and the role of community are universal. These new acquisitions reinforce that broadcasters are looking for stories that don’t simply highlight the challenges, but also explore practical, hopeful approaches to improving quality of life. It is a testament to the power of independent documentary production and the backbone of our work at Super7even and SuperIndie.”
