Overview
Two Americans and their allies form a scrappy rescue operation in 1940 Marseilles to help artists, writers and other refugees fleeing Europe during WWII. Transatlantic is a historical drama television miniseries created by Anna Winger and Daniel Hendler, based on the 2019 novel The Flight Portfolio by Julie Orringer. The novel explores the historic Emergency Rescue Committee that operated in Marseilles, Spain, and Portugal in 1940 after the fall of France. The series includes or refers to well-known artists or scholars of the time who were saved by the Committee or interacted with it. The series closed the 2023 Series Mania festival in March, ahead of its Netflix premiere on 7 April 2023.
Transatlantic centers on the frantic, high-stakes atmosphere of 1940 Marseilles. Following the collapse of France, a ragtag committee works to spirit writers and artists out of harm’s way before the Nazis arrive. It is a historical drama that trades standard battlefield tropes for the quieter, tighter tension of underground logistics and intellectual resistance.
The series brings a specific, sharp focus to the Emergency Rescue Committee. By grounding the narrative in the actual experiences of those fleeing Europe, the production highlights the immense bravery required to navigate shifting borders and political instability. Gillian Jacobs and a large ensemble cast provide a human scale to these events, illustrating how individual actions rippled through history during a decade marked by displacement and uncertainty.
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Details
- First Aired
- April 07, 2023
- Status
- Ended
- Episode Runtime
- 50 minutes
- Origin
- DE
- TMDB Votes
- 75