THE RORY PECK AWARDS 2006
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MEHRAN BOZORGNIA - German

Finalist: The Rory Peck Award for Hard News

This piece provides first hand evidence of how the Taliban has returned as a fighting force in one of the most lawless parts of Afghanistan. The team are filming a burning school when they are confronted by an armed group of Taliban fighters. Despite their hostility to his camera, Mehran Bozorgnia keeps filming as members of the team try to pacify the fighters. Suddenly the fighters are ambushed by armed Afghan police. Mehran continues filming as the team are then caught in a gun battle.

Cameraman's Comment

“When I think of it now, I feel that having a camera saved me from being shot at (or beaten later on), which I cannot claim for my assistant Hashemi, who bore a broken shoulder and ribs from the incident.”

Biography

Mehran Bozorgnia was born in Iran. He attended the Berlin School of Cinematography, then worked as a cameraman in Germany for ZDF and NDR. In 1990, he trained in journalism with NDR in Hamburg since when he has worked as a freelance documentary maker and foreign affairs producer. He has made more than 150 short features for international news networks including APTN, Reuters, Canal Plus, NHK and Channel 4. In 2005, he was a finalist for the Rory Peck Award for Hard News.

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