ZDF Enterprises and Uwe Kersken’s Gruppe 5 Filmproduktion are proud to announce that their documentary “Secrets of the Taj Mahal” (1 x 50’ HD) has been nominated for the 33rd annual News & Documentary Emmy®Award in the category Outstanding Individual Achievement in a Craft: Lighting Direction & Scenic Design – Stephan Koester, by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

Aired in the U.S. on the Smithsonian Channel, the program is competing with documentaries from NBC and CNN. The awards ceremony will be held on 1 October 2012.

"Secrets of the Taj Mahal" focuses on the most fundamental symbol of India, a monument to a grand passion. It is the story of the mighty 17th-century Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and of his undying love for his wife Mumtaz Mahal.

We witness magnificent ceremonies at court, peek into the secret world of the harem, and accompany Shah Jahan on a military campaign. The construction of the Taj Mahal – ordered by Shah Jahan after the death of his beloved wife – is depicted in a combination of documentary elements, re-enactments and CGI.

Experts such as Prof. Ebba Koch and New Delhi historian Prof. Najif Haider explain the significance of the monument's architecture. By penetrating deep into the symbolism of the Taj Mahal, the film deciphers its spiritual code as a testimony to a never-ending love.

“Secrets of the Taj Mahal” is part of the “Great India” cycle (2 x 50’ HD), distributed worldwide by ZDF Enterprises, which looks at two great moments of India’s past to show us to what point the subcontinent nation can implement change and realize tremendous accomplishments: the sweeping social and religious reforms of Ashoka, “Buddha’s Warior,” and the construction of one of the world’s architectural wonders, the Taj Mahal.

The film is written by Stephan Koester and Alexander Hogh, directed by Stephan Koester, and produced by Christian Feyerabend. Uwe Kersken is the Executive Producer.