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S21 Ep1

Eiffel's Race to the Top

Premiere: 10/25/2023 | 00:00:32 |

Find out about the race to build Paris’ most famous landmark when two men vied to be the first to build a monument 1,000 feet tall. See how one man’s vision transformed the Paris skyline, making the Eiffel Tower a global icon. Dramatic recreations, official renderings and personal correspondence tell the story.

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About the Episode

Find out about the race to build Paris’ most famous landmark when two men vied to be the first to build a monument 1,000 feet tall. See how one man’s vision transformed the Paris skyline, making the Eiffel Tower a global icon. Dramatic recreations, official renderings and personal correspondence tell the story.

Film Interviewees

  • Barry Bergdoll – Architectural Historian, Columbia University
  • Michel Carmona – Biographer of Gustave Eiffel
  • Julie Gimbal – Architectural Historian
  • Bertrand Lemoine – Architect and Architectural Historian
  • Claudine Philouze-Chatty – Engineer and Art Historian
  • Isabelle Morin Loutrel – Curator of Historical Monuments
  • Jean-Michel Leniaud – Art Historian and Biographer of Charles Garnier

Secrets of the Dead: Eiffel’s Race to the Top is a ZED production for ARTE France in association with The WNET Group, in association with FTV Prima, Movistar Plus+, TV5MONDE, RTBF Documentary Unit, TV5 Québec, and RSI. Written and directed by Mathieu Schwartz and Savin Yeatman-Eiffel. Narrated by Jay O. Sanders. Produced by Gaëlle Guyader. For ZED: Manuel Catteau is executive producer; Claire Bénard is general manager. For Secrets of the Dead: Benjamin Phelps is supervising producer; Stephanie Carter is executive producer; Stephen Segaller is executive in charge.

Original production funding for Eiffel’s Race to the Top was provided by the Centre National du Cinéma et de l’Image Animée (CNC) and Procirep-ANGOA, with production support provided by SOFICA Cinémage 17.

Funding for Secrets of the Dead is provided by public television viewers.

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PRODUCTION CREDITS

Narrated by
Jay O. Sanders

Written and Directed by
Mathieu Schwartz
and
Savin Yeatman-Eiffel

Produced by
Gaëlle Guyader

Starring
Gustave Eiffel ………… Marc Citti
Jules Bourdais ………… François Rabette
Claire Eiffel ………… Léa Schwartz
Charles Garnier …………. Régis Royer
Édouard Lockroy ……… Romans Suarez-Pazos

Co-Starring
Luc-Emmanuel Betton • Laurent Lafuma • Étienne Launay
Édouard Michelon • Bruno Ricci • Benoît Schwartz • Cédric Zimmerlin

Director of Photography
Gabriel Buti

Editing
Raphaël Bourdelon

Music
Yannis Dumoutiers

A Project Developed by
Savin Yeatman-Eiffel

Historical Advisor
Michel Carmona

Research
Pauline Kerleroux

Casting
Nathalie Chéron

First Assistant Director
Nicolas Saubost

Sound Recordist
Frédéric Heinrich

Costume Designer
Guillaume Villette

Makeup Artist
Delphine Kellogg

Hair Stylist
Fanny Morin

Set Designer
Anne Delepoulle

Props
Laetitia Zukgraf

Eiffel Factory Machines & Workers
Rivets de France – Gforgé

Location Manager
Dider Carrel

Graphics
Gwendal Le Naour

Color Grading
Nicolas Perret

Sound Editing and Mixing
Yann Ruffieux

Post Production Coordinator
Gwendal Ropars

Production Manager
Bénédicte Félix

Production Coordinators
Laura Balduini
Amandine Louis

Archival Material
Agence Kharbine Tababor
Agence RMN
Akg-images
Alamy
Archives Nationales
BnF
Bourdais family collection
Bridgeman
CHNC
Conservatoire Numérique des Arts et Métiers
Fonds Eiffel
Freeway/Michael Gisselere
Getty Research Institute
INPI
iStock
Library of Congress
Musée d’Orsay
Pond5
Roger-Viollet
Sav! The World Productions
Savin Yeatman-Eiffel Collection
University of Toulouse Science Library

Locations Furnished by
Musée d’Orsay
University of Toulouse Science Library

Special Thanks
Geoff Scargill
Patricia Humblot
Andrew Saint

For ZED
Executive Producer
Manuel Catteau

General Manager
Claire Bénard

For ARTE France
Specialist Factual Unit
Hélène Ganichaud
Hélène Coldefy
Émilie Dumond

For TV5MONDE
Head of Fiction/Documentaries
Christophe Assezat

For SECRETS OF THE DEAD
Supervising Producer
Benjamin Phelps

Additional Editing
Doug Davis

Re-recording Mixer
Doug Johnson

Budget Controller
Sue Bartelt

Legal Counsel
Cindy Abramson
Matt Clark

Station Relations
Robin Rodriguez

Audience Engagement
June Jennings

Social Media
Maggie Bower

Executive in Charge
Stephen Segaller

Executive Producer
Stephanie Carter

 

Original Production Funding provided by
Centre National du Cinéma et de l’Image Animée (CNC)
Procirep–ANGOA

Production Support provided by
SOFICA Cinémage 17

 

A ZED production for ARTE France,
in association with The WNET Group,
in association with FTV Prima, Movistar Plus+, TV5MONDE, RTBF Documentary Unit, TV5 Québec Canada, and RSI.

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