Page 32 - AIB | The Chanel | Issue 1 2012

A remarkable range of entries in the international
current affairs documentary category was narrowed
to a shortlist of six. The results were very close and
our judges said how much they learnt from the
programmes that made it to the final selection.
One stood out - True Vision's programme
commissioned by the UK's BBC Four called
Zimbabwe's Forgotten Children.
The judges said that this provided a genuinely
engaging narrative that was emotional, informative
and motivating. The three children featured were
remarkable choices by the producers whose voices
and words, one judge said, will never be forgotten.
This was a heart-wrenching documentary that
captured the economic and political meltdown of
Zimbabwe, once the bread basket of southern Africa,
and an exposé of the devastating impact that this has
on the country's next generation.
Highly commended
BSkyB
Ross Kemp - Extreme World
This series goes where other production teams might
fear to tread, with Ross Kemp and his team providing
in the episode submitted an insightful and shocking
portrayal of Chicago's drug epidemic. It was a bold
approach to a difficult subject.
Channel 4
Dispatches: The Battle for Haiti
A powerful and harrowing account of the daily battle
for the control of Haiti between escaped convicts and
the country's police. First hand interviews with victims
of the gangs provided a compelling account of the
lives of those fighting both for justice and survival.
32 | ISSUE 1 2012 | THE CHANNEL
The 2011 AIBs
Over the past year, the Middle East has been more in
focus than ever before and we separated out
documentaries covering the region from other entries
as our judges searched for the most accomplished
production covering the region.
Six programmes made it to the shortlist, two
produced by national broadcasters and four produced
by international channels.
Our judges agreed that one programme should be
the overall winner: the BBC's Panorama: Fighting
Gaddafi. They said that this was an excellent
production, investing time and effort into research
that shows through in the range of interviewees in the
programme. Meeting Saadi Gaddafi was, said one
judge, a huge plus for the storyline. The programme's
unique footage was woven into a story that engages
the viewers with a first-person perspective on the
events in the war in Libya.
Highly commended
BBC Arabic
Egypt - Revolution Diary
A highly commended notation goes to the BBC's
Arabic television service that retold the story of the
Egyptian revolution through the eyes of a BBC
reporter. It was a format that worked well in the
coverage of so many disparate events, our judges
said.
International current
affairs documentary
True Vision
Middle East current
affairs documentary
BBC
▼RTG TV CEO
Fedor Strizhkov
(left) presents the
award to
Truevision
The BBC
Panorama team ▼