Sky Documentaries teams up with Candour Productions and The Observer for The Real Salt Path (w/t)
On its release in 2018, The Salt Path became an overnight sensation. Raynor Winn’s bestselling memoir of financial ruin, terminal illness, and healing through nature became a national obsession, the must-read for book clubs up and down the country. It captured the public imagination, sparking book tours, literary prizes and a runaway hit film starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs. Raynor and her husband Moth were embraced by the nation, but their story was not all that it seemed.
When Observer journalist Chloe Hadjimatheou received an anonymous tip off, she picked up a copy of The Salt Path and read it with a journalist’s eye. Over the course of a months-long investigation, a new story began to emerge, pieced together through paper trails, interviews and testimony from those who knew the Winns before their walk began. The Observer’s findings hit the headlines on 5 July this year, and stunned the public.
Now, with exclusive access to Chloe’s ongoing investigation as new whistleblowers come forward with their own versions of events, Sky has commissioned a one-off feature documentary from multi award-winning Candour Productions, The Real Salt Path (w/t), to dig deeper into the truth. With extensive investigative evidence and never-before-seen material, Chloe will venture further into what really happened on the Winns’ reckoning with The Salt Path. With their literary empire teetering on unstable ground, are there even more twists to this uniquely British page-turner?
Hayley Reynolds, Acting Director of Sky Documentaries, said: “This film brings together world-class journalism and filmmaking to explore one of Britain’s most remarkable modern-day literary phenomena — and the truth that lies beneath it. At Sky Documentaries, we’re always drawn to stories that challenge perceptions and ask difficult questions, so there couldn’t be a better opportunity for us to partner with The Observer and reunite with the award-winning team behind Libby, Are You Home Yet?”
Alice Sandelson, Strategic Partnerships Director, The Observer, said: “It has been remarkable to see how The Observer’s Real Salt Path story captured the public imagination. We are thrilled to now be bringing Chloe’s ongoing investigation to the screen, working with the brilliant team at Candour and Sky Documentaries.”
Anna Hall, Founder & Chief Creative Officer, Candour Productions, said: “We are delighted to be teaming up with Sky and The Observer for this very British whodunnit – a story of intrigue that has caused anger and outrage for some and grief and disbelief for others. This film explores how we connect to the power of stories, and what we do when we have to question what we believed.”
The Real Salt Path (w/t) airs on Sky Documentaries and streaming service NOW this December.
For more information, contact: Lucy.Butterfield@sky.uk
The Real Salt Path (w/t) is a co-production from Candour Productions and The Observer. The Executive Producer for Candour is Anna Hall. The Commissioning Editors for Sky are Ziyaad Desai and Kathryn Taylor.
