Latest news with #BendePear
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Susan Sarandon Among 600+ Actors and Filmmakers Who Demand Release of Gaza Doc at BBC
Susan Sarandon and more than 600 other actors and filmmakers signed and sent an open letter to the BBC this week, demanding the network air a delayed documentary about medics in Gaza. According to the letter obtained by TheWrap, the network is engaging in 'political suppression' rather than 'editorial caution.' The doc at the heart of the letter is 'Gaza: Medics Under Fire,' which details the experiences of medical workers in Gaza amid the conflict between Israel and Hamas. The film is produced by Emmy and Peabody recipients Ben de Pear, Karim Shah and Ramita Navai, and was originally scheduled to air in January, but has been delayed. Per the letter from UK Screen Industry, 130 of the anonymous signatories are made up of 'more than a dozen BBC staff.' 'The BBC continues to demonstrate bias in its reporting and coverage of events in Gaza, raising continued concern and criticism about the balance and impartiality of its journalism in this region,' the letter reads. The signatories also noted that the film has been 'indefinitely delayed' despite having gone through proper fact-checking and being 'signed off' on. '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,' they wrote. 'It's hard not to conclude that the BBC's gatekeeping is rooted in racism. The message is clear: Programs about the ongoing genocide, told from Palestinian perspectives, are held to a different standard.' The letter ends by calling for the immediate release of the documentary: 'No news organization should quietly decide behind closed doors whose stories are worth telling. This important film should be seen by the public, and its contributors' bravery honored.' The BBC did not immediately respond to TheWrap's requests for comment. The post Susan Sarandon Among 600+ Actors and Filmmakers Who Demand Release of Gaza Doc at BBC appeared first on TheWrap.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Susan Sarandon, Mike Leigh & Harriet Walter Sign Letter Urging BBC To Stop 'Censorship Of Palestinian Voices' & Air ‘Gaza: Medics Under Fire' Doc
Big names including Susan Sarandon, Mike Leigh and Harriet Walter have signed an open letter to the BBC urging the corporation to cease 'the censorship of Palestinian voices' and air a documentary about medics in Gaza. The documentary has been delayed while the BBC investigates events surrounding a separate show, Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone, after that show was pulled due to links between one of the narrators and Hamas. More from Deadline Netflix UK Boss Anne Mensah Rules Herself Out Of BBC Content Chief Race 'This City Is Ours' Renewed For Season 2 At BBC 'Rivals' Actor Danny Dyer Says Harold Pinter's Death Triggered Him Into "Spiral Of Madness" Gaza: Medics Under Fire was created by a team including ex-Channel 4 news boss Ben de Pear and the team said last week that the screening had been delayed. Today's letter, which is also signed by Channel 4 News International Editor Lindsay Hilsum, Game of Thrones star Indira Varma and actor Miriam Margolyes, said: '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.' 'The BBC continues to demonstrate bias in its reporting and coverage of events in Gaza, raising continued concern and criticism about the balance and impartiality of its journalism in this region,' it added. The letter, which was organized by a group calling itself UK Screen Industry along with the Britain Palestine Media Centre, called on BBC Director General Tim Davie to immediately 'broadcast the unreleased documentary.' The BBC has been contacted for comment. The Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone review kicked off in Feb and is yet to report back. At the time it was commissioned, the BBC revealed that the producers were aware of the narrator's links to Hamas and would be investigating further. At last night's BAFTAs, Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone director and producer Jamie Roberts, who has been in hot water over that doc, won an award for a separate show about Ukraine. The letter in full Dear Director-General Tim Davie, Over 600 prominent figures—including Oscar-winner Susan Sarandon, Frankie Boyle, and Channel 4's Lindsey Hilsum—have signed an open letter urging the BBC to air Gaza: Medics Under Fire. Among them are 130 anonymous signatories, including more than a dozen BBC staff. We write to you again with deep concern about the censorship of Palestinian voices – this time, medics operating in unimaginable conditions in Gaza. The BBC continues to demonstrate bias in its reporting and coverage of events in Gaza, raising continued concern and criticism about the balance and impartiality of its journalism in this region. It has repeatedly delayed the broadcast of Gaza: Medics Under Fire, a documentary made by Oscar-nominated, Emmy and Peabody award-winning filmmakers, including Ben de Pear, Karim Shah and Ramita Navai. Health Workers 4 Palestine have said in their statement: 'The health workers featured in this documentary 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.' We stand with the medics of Gaza whose voices are being silenced. Their urgent stories are being buried by bureaucracy and political censorship. 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. 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? The production company, Basement Films, has said: 'We gathered searing testimony from multiple Palestinian doctors and health care workers…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.' 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. We demand a release date for Gaza: Medics Under Fire—NOW. 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. Best of Deadline 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery All The Songs In Netflix's 'Forever': From Tyler The Creator To SZA 'Poker Face' Season 2 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Arrive On Peacock?
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
BBC puts new Gaza film on hold amid bias row
A new BBC Gaza documentary is facing an 'indefinite' delay until a review into a controversial film with links to Hamas has been completed. The programme, provisionally titled Gaza: Medics Under Fire, follows Palestinian doctors and health-care workers in the war zone, and had been due to air in February. However, it was pulled after a previous film on Gaza was found to have been narrated by the son of a Hamas government minister. The contentious documentary, Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone, featured Abdullah al-Yazouri as its teenage narrator, but did not disclose his family's links to the proscribed terror group. The BBC removed the film from iPlayer amid a backlash, admitting 'serious flaws' in its production, and announced an internal investigation. The review will look at errors including the payment of £790 by an independent production company, Hoyo Films, to the boy's family. It has now emerged that the investigation has led to a separate documentary, Gaza: Medics Under Fire, being put on hold. The film's production company, Basement Films, expressed frustration that its work could be affected by the scandal. The company, which is not linked to the film under investigation, said it was 'deeply disappointed' with the 'repeated and indefinite delays'. The documentary includes interviews with Palestinian doctors who survived attacks on hospitals, with some claiming to have been detained and tortured. '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 production company added. The BBC said that it would show the film 'as soon as possible' after its review into Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone had finished, but it has not set a date. A spokesman for the corporation said: '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. Basement Films is run by Ben de Pear, a former editor at Channel 4 News, who has won Emmy and Bafta awards for his work. The Times reported that one BBC insider claimed the fallout from the first film had left bosses 'terrified' of showing anything about Gaza, but that others were reportedly relieved that it had been held back. 'The BBC has already done a lot about the suffering of Gazans because of Israel's actions,' the insider told The Times. The review is being led by Peter Johnston, the BBC's editorial complaints chief. He has interviewed staff and the team behind Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone, but The Times reported that legal issues have slowed its progress. Ofcom, the broadcasting regulator, has told Dr Samir Shah, the BBC chairman, that it will step in if not satisfied with the internal investigation. It comes after The Telegraph revealed that the BBC is to appoint an independent figure to investigate allegations of anti-Semitism on its Arabic channel. On Saturday, Dr Shah also suggested the corporation's wider reporting on the Israel-Gaza conflict would now be reviewed. Speaking to Times Radio, he said: 'The Arabic service, we are looking at it, we've been examining it. I think this whole business of how we've covered Israel-Gaza is a proper thing to examine thoroughly, which is why we're going to identify... we're going to get hold of an independent figure to look at our coverage.' BBC sources said a 'thematic review' of its reporting on the Middle East conflict will be 'independent and published in full' for presentation to the board. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
BBC puts new Gaza film on hold amid bias row
A new BBC Gaza documentary is facing an 'indefinite' delay until a review into a controversial film with links to Hamas has been completed. The programme, provisionally titled Gaza: Medics Under Fire, follows Palestinian doctors and health-care workers in the war zone, and had been due to air in February. However, it was pulled after a previous film on Gaza was found to have been narrated by the son of a Hamas government minister. The contentious documentary, Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone, featured Abdullah al-Yazouri as its teenage narrator, but did not disclose his family's links to the proscribed terror group. The BBC removed the film from iPlayer amid a backlash, admitting 'serious flaws' in its production, and announced an internal investigation. The review will look at errors including the payment of £790 by an independent production company, Hoyo Films, to the boy's family. It has now emerged that the investigation has led to a separate documentary, Gaza: Medics Under Fire, being put on hold. The film's production company, Basement Films, expressed frustration that its work could be affected by the scandal. 'Indefinite delays' The company, which is not linked to the film under investigation, said it was 'deeply disappointed' with the 'repeated and indefinite delays'. The documentary includes interviews with Palestinian doctors who survived attacks on hospitals, with some claiming to have been detained and tortured. '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 production company added. The BBC said that it would show the film 'as soon as possible' after its review into Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone had finished, but it has not set a date. A spokesman for the corporation said: '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. Basement Films is run by Ben de Pear, a former editor at Channel 4 News, who has won Emmy and Bafta awards for his work. The Times reported that one BBC insider claimed the fallout from the first film had left bosses 'terrified' of showing anything about Gaza, but that others were reportedly relieved that it had been held back. 'The BBC has already done a lot about the suffering of Gazans because of Israel's actions,' the insider told The Times. The review is being led by Peter Johnston, the BBC's editorial complaints chief. He has interviewed staff and the team behind Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone, but The Times reported that legal issues have slowed its progress. Regulator could get involved Ofcom, the broadcasting regulator, has told Dr Samir Shah, the BBC chairman, that it will step in if not satisfied with the internal investigation. It comes after The Telegraph revealed that the BBC is to appoint an independent figure to investigate allegations of anti-Semitism on its Arabic channel. On Saturday, Dr Shah also suggested the corporation's wider reporting on the Israel-Gaza conflict would now be reviewed. Speaking to Times Radio, he said: 'The Arabic service, we are looking at it, we've been examining it. I think this whole business of how we've covered Israel-Gaza is a proper thing to examine thoroughly, which is why we're going to identify... we're going to get hold of an independent figure to look at our coverage.' BBC sources said a 'thematic review' of its reporting on the Middle East conflict will be 'independent and published in full' for presentation to the board.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Anger as Royal Television Society scraps special award for Gaza journalists
THE Royal Television Society (RTS) scrapped a special recognition award for journalists in Gaza at last night's TV Journalism Awards. The move has sparked anger, with a former senior news executive calling it 'spineless'. The Committee To Protect Journalists (CPJ) have found that at least 170 journalists and media workers were among the more than tens of thousands killed in Gaza, the West Bank, Israel, and Lebanon since the war began – 162 of whom are Palestinian – making it the deadliest period for journalists since CPJ began gathering data in 1992. READ MORE: The RTS award was meant to honour them and recognise their efforts over the last 18 months – but it was cancelled at the last minute. News site Deadline reportedly saw an email sent to jury chairs from RTS, who said the award was being scrapped to avoid adding 'fuel to the fire' amid the controversy around a recent BBC Gaza documentary. Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone was removed from BBC iPlayer after it emerged that the 13-year-old narrator, Abdullah, is the son of Ayman Alyazouri, who has worked as deputy minister of agriculture in Gaza's government, which is administered by Hamas. Adrian Wells, chair of the RTS Television Journalism Awards, said: 'Already this has become a political football and the RTS is keen not to add fuel to the fire in this current environment. It is a shame that this cannot proceed but rest assured there is a very strong showing and recognition of journalism from Gaza throughout the rest of the evening.' Wells also explicitly referenced attacks against the BBC's documentary from the media and criticism of Channel 4 News for also featuring 13-year-old Abdullah in its coverage. In a statement, an RTS spokesperson told Deadline: 'Investigations have recently been launched into a number of news reports from Gaza and, as those reviews are ongoing, we didn't feel it was appropriate to proceed with the award this year.' Ben de Pear, the former editor of Channel 4 News, slammed the decision (below). Gaza dominated @RTS_media last night so why did the RTS cancel the Special Award for Gazan journalists which had been almost unanimously recommended by RTS Jurors ? Around 200 of our colleagues have been killed in unprecedented numbers telling a story for us we cannot access — Ben de Pear (@bendepear) March 6, 2025 He wrote on Twitter/X: Gaza dominated [the awards] last night so why did the RTS cancel the Special Award for Gazan journalists which had been almost unanimously recommended by RTS Jurors ? Around 200 of our colleagues have been killed in unprecedented numbers telling a story for us we cannot access.' De Pear added: 'The decision was taken because of failures/omissions in the telling of a story in the UK; not because of Gazans' failures. They were punished and excluded in a last minute and unaccountable process without referral or participation of the RTS Journalism members/juries or chairs. 'Presenters & winners repeatedly cited the battle for truth we are in across world, the importance of television journalism & the bravery of those targeted for it & then the very organisation which presides over the recognition of all of this cancels the very award recognising it.'
