Scripted

Amazon Prime Video has picked up a Russian drama for distribution in Germany, France and the Netherlands. Russian Affairs (8×50’) comes from Start Studios, the production arm of Russian media group Yellow Black & White and its own streaming service, Start.

Under the deal, the first season of the show will launch on Amazon Prime Video across its German-, Dutch- and French-speaking territories early this year.

Russian Affairs follows a small-town girl who dreams of opening an art gallery. When she visits her old school friend who is now the mistress of a wealthy businessman, she sees a way of getting what she wants, and more. The drama premiered in Russia on Start last year titled Gold Diggers and is the first Russian show to be distributed in Europe by Amazon Prime Video.

“The series lifts the lid on the bright lights of current Moscow and the glamorous world of Russia’s wealthy ‘society’ where money, information, power or beauty are the qualifications needed for entry, and illicit affairs are the norm,” said Daria Bondarenko, executive VP of international sales and coproduction at Start Studios. “Primarily, this is a story about sharp-minded, ambitious and strong women who keep on top, and know the price of getting whatever they want.” The Amazon deal and comes hot on the heels of Yellow Black & White securing an international pact with Netflix for another Start Studios drama, Better Than Us.