Latest news with #BasementFilms
The Guardian
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Doctors and whistleblowers in delayed Gaza film threaten to pull out
Doctors and whistleblowers who featured in a much-delayed Gaza documentary that the corporation was accused of censoring by Susan Sarandon, Gary Lineker and other cultural figures, are threatening to withdraw their consent due to the continued refusal to broadcast the film. Earlier this month it emerged that the BBC had shelved broadcasting Gaza: Medics Under Fire, which was ready to air in February, until it finishes investigating a separate, unrelated film called Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone, which was pulled from iPlayer after it emerged its young narrator was the son of a Hamas official. An open letter about the delay was sent to director general Tim Davie by more than 600 signatories – including Harriet Walter, Miriam Margolyes, Maxine Peake and Juliet Stevenson – claiming: 'This is not editorial caution. It's political suppression. 'No news organisation should quietly decide behind closed doors whose stories are worth telling. This important film should be seen by the public, and its contributors' bravery honoured.' With some BBC staff now concerned at how politically sensitive the issue has become, the Guardian has learned that some of the contributors to Gaza: Medics Under Fire – some of whom likely took risks to talk to the company that made the programme, Basement Films – are now considering withdrawing the consent they gave for their appearances to be used. In addition, other broadcasters and platforms have offered to air the documentary instead but that move has been vetoed by the corporation. Despite the programme being cleared for broadcast and passed by lawyers who ensure it complies with broadcasting codes and guidelines, it is understood the BBC is now asking for changes to it and says it will not show the film until the completion of an internal review being carried out by its director of editorial complaints, Peter Johnston, into Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone. However, it is not known when that will be as insiders claim the main interviews only took place last week and lawyers are involved. 'People are sick of the whole thing,' said one source. The issue is particularly contentious for the BBC news and current affairs division as the Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone documentary was so high-profile the head of BBC News attended its press screening. So when the chair of the BBC, Samir Shah, said in March that the failings of that film were a 'dagger to the heart' of the BBC's claims of trustworthiness and impartiality it made staff nervous. Meanwhile, in response to the BBC's decision to continue delaying its medics film, Basement Films – which was founded by a former editor of Channel 4 News Ben de Pear – is now running films from other doctors in Gaza on its social media. The company explained: 'We apologise again to those who trusted us with their stories … Understandably many of the contributors and those who filmed for us in Gaza are starting to reconsider their consent for the film now it is months delayed, despite being signed off and lauded by some senior management at BBC News. 'We have many offers from broadcasters and platforms across the world so that the searing testimonies of Gazan medics and of surviving family members can be heard, in some cases eight months after we spoke to them … we are still urging BBC News to do the right thing.' A BBC spokesperson said: 'We have taken an editorial decision not to broadcast this documentary while we have an ongoing review into a previous documentary Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone. We understand the importance of telling these stories and know that the current process is difficult for those involved.'
The National
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
34,000 people sign petition demanding BBC 'stop suppressing' Gaza film
Basement Films were commissioned by the BBC to make a documentary about Israel targeting Palestinian healthcare infrastructure but the broadcaster has since blocked it from coming out. The corporation has blamed the furore around a different documentary which it pulled from its iPlayer streaming platform after controversy around it featuring the son of a Hamas government official. But the 'spineless' broadcaster has come under fire for 'suppressing' Basement Films' documentary and faces questions about whether there is 'improper influence being exercised to prevent its screening'. READ MORE: Irish minister in stunning rebuke of 'genocidal' Israel In post on Twitter/X, the company said: 'We are doubtful that our film investigating attacks on hospitals and medics in Gaza, produced with [the BBC] over 14 months, cleared multiple times at all levels, containing graphic footage of attacks and searing testimony of survivors of those attacks, will be released by [the BBC]. 'We apologise to the survivors of these attacks, those alleging torture and the families of those killed. They all doubted whether [the BBC] would ever tell their stories. We thought they would; they still can. We are desperate for this film to be released. Please watch this space." Scottish historian William Dalrymple (below), one of the most renowned living historians of the British Empire, responded to the company's statement, saying the BBC were 'shameful and spineless'. He said: 'You've lost all respect and all claims to truth telling during this, the supreme moral test of our lifetime. The largest mass slaughter and ethnic cleansing of civilians in modern times is underway and you are too timid to show a documentary you yourself commissioned from some of the country's most acclaimed award-winning documentary makers. Utterly shameful.' Former top government spin doctor Alastair Campbell said he and former Tory MP Rory Stewart had discussed the film on their hit podcast The Rest is Politics. READ MORE: SNP and Scottish Labour unite to condemn 'blatantly racist' Reform UK advert He added: 'The BBC commissioned the film, which was delivered on time and having gone through all the editorial processes and week by week excuses given for why the tune is not right to show it. 'Inexplicable unless there is improper influence being exercised to prevent its screening.' A petition demanding its release has reached 34,418 signatures at the time of writing. The petition states: 'The BBC is suppressing a documentary about the plight of doctors in Gaza, saying the delay is linked to an internal review of a different film by a different producer. It makes no sense. 'The UK Government still supports [Israeli prime minister Benjamin] Netanyahu's murderous regime – that's why the BBC bosses won't show the film. But airing Gaza: Medics Under Fire could help persuade MPs to bring an end to the horror.' The BBC was approached for comment.
The National
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Frankie Boyle among stars to blast BBC over Gaza documentary delay
MORE than 600 famous figures including comedian Frankie Boyle and Oscar-winning actress Susan Sarandon have accused on the BBC of 'political suppression' in its decision to delay the airing of a documentary on Gaza's doctors. The documentary titled Gaza: Medics Under Fire was reportedly ready to be broadcast in February but has been shelved following the controversy around How to Survive a Warzone, which featured the son of a Hamas official. The production firm behind the documentary on Gaza doctors, Basement Films, said the BBC has postponed airing the film until after a review into How to Survive a Warzone is completed. A number of NHS doctors are reportedly writing to the BBC to air their frustrations over its decision to delay the screening of the film after they helped to introduce the documentary team to their counterparts in Gaza. Now more than 600 prominent figures have signed an open letter to director-general Tim Davie expressing 'deep concern' about the 'censorship of Palestinian voices'. READ MORE: BBC 'sorry' for wrong pronouns during Supreme Court gender report The letter accuses the BBC of 'demonstrating bias' in its reporting of events in Gaza, including in repeatedly delaying the broadcast of Gaza: Medics Under Fire, which signatories say represents 'political suppression'. 'This documentary was scheduled to air in January but has since been indefinitely delayed. It has undergone rigorous editorial scrutiny. It has been fact-checked and signed off repeatedly, and yet the BBC refuses to set a broadcast date,' the letter states. 'This is not editorial caution. It's political suppression. The BBC has provided no timeline, no transparency. Such decisions reinforce the systemic devaluation of Palestinian lives in our media. 'It's hard not to conclude that the BBC's gatekeeping is rooted in racism. The message is clear: Programmes about the ongoing genocide, told from Palestinian perspectives, are held to a different standard. 'If the voices of Palestinian doctors aren't considered credible – just as the voices of Palestinian children were previously dismissed – then whose voices does the BBC consider legitimate? 'Every day this film is delayed, the BBC fails in its commitment to inform the public, fails in its journalistic responsibility to report the truth, and fails in its duty of care to these brave contributors.' Demanding a release date for the documentary, the letter added: 'No news organisation should quietly decide behind closed doors whose stories are worth telling.' (Image: PA) Other signatories of the letter include ex-BBC journalist Karishma Patel – who quit the BBC over its reporting on Gaza – and actress Maxine Peake (above). Historian William Dalrymple has also criticised the broadcaster's decision as he said the broadcaster is 'wrecking its reputation' over its failure to hold the Israeli Government to account. The independent documentary production company Basement Films said it was 'deeply disappointed' that its film had not yet been aired yet, amid suggestions that the BBC had reversed an original plan to press ahead with the screening. 'There is no moral or professional reason why a mistake in one film should repeatedly prevent the release of another film,' the company said. The BBC has been approached for comment. Calls for BBC to become 'public service mutual' Elsewhere, media expert Tom Mills has called major reform at the BBC insisting it should become 'public service mutual', with members actively involved in its operations. Mills – who wrote The BBC: Myth of a Public Service – said these powers will create a 'direct relationship' between the public and the broadcaster, enabling them to hold management to account and be involved in setting the BBC's strategy. (Image: Tom Mills) The Aston University sociologist has made the call ahead of the review of the BBC's Royal Charter in 2027, which defines the BBC's constitution and public purposes. He points out that while the BBC is funded by the public, they have no control over how it works, while governments 'have interfered' with the broadcaster's independence and 'weakened' its public service mission. 'Unless the BBC is radically reformed, it faces a bleak future of dwindling audiences, collapsing funding and eventual irrelevance, depriving British audiences of one of the few national institutions with a duty to serve their needs and interests,' he said. 'The next BBC Royal Charter should mutualise the BBC, transforming it into an organisation owned and controlled by the British public. 'A mutualised BBC would continue to be an independent public service media institution, but one founded on a genuinely democratic relationship with the public.' Setting out proposals for the reform, Mills said members of a mutualised BBC would be 'sovereign' and represented by a members' council which would organise members' participation in the BBC's activities and directly hold the BBC executive to account. He added that any future funding mechanism by the BBC must be 'free from government control' and rated progressively on ability to pay. Other proposals include:
Middle East Eye
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Prominent health workers accuse BBC of 'censorship' for withholding film on Gaza medics
Prominent health workers have written to the BBC expressing "profound outrage" over its decision to delay the broadcast of a new film about doctors working in Gaza, which they say is "censorship by omission". The documentary, Gaza: Medics Under Fire, was ready to broadcast in February but was pulled because of a scandal that erupted over another BBC documentary on children in Gaza, entitled How to Survive a Warzone. The BBC launched a review into the film after the Israeli embassy in London and British ministers criticised it over revelations that its 13-year-old narrator Abdullah al-Yazuri's father is a technocrat in Gaza's Hamas-administered government. Britain's public broadcaster has said it will broadcast Gaza: Medics Under Fire after the review into the earlier documentary has been concluded, although it is not clear when that will be. The new film has been signed off by the broadcaster's lawyers, and the BBC reportedly abandoned an earlier plan to screen the film despite the review. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Amira Nimerawi, the CEO of Health Workers 4 Palestine, Dr Omar Abel Mannan, its founder and president, and Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah, the rector of Glasgow University who worked in Gaza's hospitals in 2023, were among healthcare workers who signed an open letter to the BBC's Director-General Tim Davie on Thursday. "This is not a neutral editorial choice," they wrote. "The BBC's refusal to air this film constitutes censorship by omission, and it is no less dangerous than overt propaganda. "By denying the public access to this crucial testimony, the BBC is actively shielding war crimes from scrutiny and undermining its own stated commitment to impartiality, truth, and public service." 'No moral or professional reason' Basement Films, the documentary's producer, said it was "deeply disappointed" at the BBC's decision, adding: "There is no moral or professional reason why a mistake in one film should repeatedly prevent the release of another film. "We gathered searing testimony from multiple Palestinian doctors and health workers who had survived attacks on hospitals and their homes that killed both colleagues and loved ones. The Settlers: Louis Theroux takes an unflinching look at the Israelis intent on stealing the West Bank Read More » "We also spoke to multiple medics who had been detained and testified they had been tortured, and we made solemn undertakings that their stories would be told, and done so as soon as possible." Basement Films added: "The film has been made by an experienced and multi-award-winning team both from Basement Films, and the BBC. It has been fact-checked, complied and signed off multiple times within the BBC, as well as experts we consulted with. "We are desperate for a confirmed release date in order to be able to tell the surviving doctors and medics when their stories will be told." The letter on Thursday noted that the health workers featured in the BBC film "have witnessed countless colleagues being killed, and have risked their lives not only to care for their patients, but to document and expose the relentless targeting by Israel of healthcare infrastructure and personnel". A spokesperson for the BBC said: "We are committed to journalism which tells our audiences the stories of this war, including what is happening in Gaza. "This documentary is a powerful piece of reporting and we will broadcast it as soon as possible. We have taken an editorial decision not to do so while we have an ongoing review into a previous documentary, Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone." This comes just over a week after the BBC aired Louis Theroux's film The Settlers, which recived enormous attention and focused on Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.
The National
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
BBC criticised after shelving documentary on Gaza doctors
The documentary titled Gaza: Medics Under Fire was reportedly ready to be broadcast in February but has been shelved following the controversy around How to Survive a Warzone, which featured the son of a Hamas official. The production firm behind the documentary on Gaza doctors, Basement Films, said the BBC has postponed airing their film until after a review into How to Survive a Warzone is completed. A number of NHS doctors are reportedly writing to the BBC to air their frustrations over its decision to delay the screening of the film after they helped to introduce the documentary team to their counterparts in Gaza. READ MORE: Keir Starmer delivers weak statement on Israel's ethnic cleansing plan Historian William Dalrymple also criticised the broadcaster's decision as he said the broadcaster is 'wrecking its reputation' over its failure to hold the Israeli Government to account. He wrote on social media: 'The BBC really needs to get a spine. 'It is wrecking its reputation with its systematic censorship of the news out of Gaza and its failure to hold Netanyahu's government to account for War Crimes- a description it is too cowardly to use.' (Image: PA) The independent documentary production company Basement Films said it was 'deeply disappointed' that its film had not yet been aired yet, amid suggestions that the BBC had reversed an original plan to press ahead with the screening. 'There is no moral or professional reason why a mistake in one film should repeatedly prevent the release of another film,' the company said. In a statement, they added: 'We gathered searing testimony from multiple Palestinian doctors and health workers who had survived attacks on hospitals and their homes that killed both colleagues and loved ones. 'We also spoke to multiple medics who had been detained and testified they had been tortured, and we made solemn undertakings that their stories would be told and done so as soon as possible. 'The film has been made by an experienced and multi award winning team both from Basement Films, and the BBC. It has been fact checked, compiled on and signed off multiple times within the BBC, as well as experts we consulted with.' One BBC staff member said the reaction around How to Survive a Warzone had left bosses at the corporation 'terrified' of airing any further documentaries about Gaza, The Times has reported. (Image: BBC) The BBC said that it would show the film 'as soon as possible' after its review into 'How to Survive a Warzone' had concluded. However, it is unclear when that will be. According to The Times, sources close to the situation indicated that the review had become mired in a legal delay after Peter Johnston, the BBC's director of editorial complaints, finished interviewing key people at the BBC and Hoyo Films, the production company behind How to Survive a Warzone. The findings of the review are not expected to affect Basement's film which has reportedly been signed off by the corporation's lawyers. Gaza: Medics Under Fire has been made by a team of Bafta and Emmy award-winning producers with Basement Films, headed by former editor of Channel 4 News Ben de Pear. The BBC said the film remained an important piece of journalism. 'We are committed to journalism which tells our audiences the stories of this war, including what is happening in Gaza. This documentary is a powerful piece of reporting and we will broadcast it as soon as possible,' a spokesman said. 'We have taken an editorial decision not to do so while we have an ongoing review into a previous documentary, Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone.'
