Gaza documentary makers slam BBC after shelved film wins Bafta

‘Gaza: Doctors Under Attack’ wins current affairs prize at Bafta TV Awards as filmmakers accuse BBC of censoring documentary over partiality concerns

The makers of the documentary “Gaza: Doctors Under Attack” criticized the BBC during their acceptance speech at the Bafta TV Awards on Sunday after the film won the current affairs category, renewing controversy over the broadcaster’s decision to shelve the project before it was later aired by Channel 4. The documentary, which features firsthand accounts from Palestinian health workers in Gaza, was honored at London’s Royal Festival Hall nearly a year after the BBC declined to broadcast it, citing concerns over partiality. Accepting the award, executive producer Ben de Pear thanked the journalists behind the film before directly addressing the BBC, which aired the Bafta ceremony on BBC One with a delay of more than two hours. “Finally, just a question for the BBC: given you dropped our film, will you drop us from the Bafta screening later tonight?” de Pear said. Journalist and presenter Ramita Navai also criticized the broadcaster during her speech, citing findings from the documentary’s investigation into attacks on Gaza’s health care system. “These are the findings of our investigation that the BBC paid for but refused to show,” Navai said. “But we refuse to be silenced and censored. We thank Channel 4 for showing this film.” Navai further alleged that more than 1,700 Palestinian doctors and health care workers had been killed and that more than 400 had been detained while dedicating the award to Palestinian medical workers being held in Israeli detention centers. According to reports, the BBC edited portions of Navai’s remarks from its televised broadcast following consultation with its compliance team. The BBC originally commissioned the documentary from independent production company Basement Films more than a year ago but delayed its release while conducting a review into another Gaza-related documentary, “Gaza: How To Survive a War Zone.” The broadcaster later decided not to air “Gaza: Doctors Under Attack,” saying the film risked creating “a perception of partiality that would not meet the high standards that the public rightly expect of the BBC.” The corporation also said that impartiality remained “a core principle of BBC News.” The film was subsequently acquired and broadcast by Channel 4 in July last year. Speaking backstage after the Bafta win, de Pear praised Gazan journalists Jaber Badwan and Osana Al Ashi, who contributed footage to the documentary, saying the team “woke up every day wondering if the two journalists on the ground were still alive.”