THE RORY PECK AWARDS 2004
Sponsored by Sony
Ruhi Hamid
Frontlines Programme 1: Laos
Finalist: The Sony International Impact Award
"Terribly powerful. In a sense this is what journalists should do, tell the untold stories, go where no one else goes, and push these stories into the faces of governments and those who make decisions. Journalists should be detectives, witnesses, and committed to humanity - this fulfills it completely." Judge's Comment |
Ruhi Hamid entered Laos undercover, commissioned to document the lives and plight of the Hmong rebels, CIA Secret War veterans who had fought alongside the Americans during the Vietnam War. Following their guides, Ruhi and her husband Misha Maltsev trekked through the forests of Laos before coming accross the Hmong community living in the jungle. These, the first televised images of a haunted poverty-stricken people, are deeply moving.
After transmission, Ruhi Hamid was invited to the United Nations in New York to present the film and give a witness account to a special inter-agency grouping which addresses conflicts.
Camerawoman's Comments
"The three days' trek was an intense physical experience of climbing mountains, crossing rivers. moving rapidly with the constant threat of being ambushed by Laos soldiers. The unrelenting heat, humidity and early rains impeded climbing up steep ravines and crossing rivers. in order to avoid Laos soldiers we were forced to make long detaous. Durin the 11 days we spent with the Hmong we had to survive on a basic diet of roots and leaves.
Our arrival in the village was something we had never experienced before, and the emotional impact of this first encounter will stay in our psyche forever...the responsibility of being the first person to film there in 28 years left me feeling quite pressuredm but the decency of the our Hmong guides, their courage, dignity and willingness to help me make this journey gave me the strength to carry on and make sure their story wuld no longer be a secret. Leaving the Hmong was one of the hardest moments."
Biography
Ruhi Hamid was born in Tanzania of Pakistani origin. She worked as a graphic designer in Holland, and in the newly independent Zimbabwe as part of a collective of young black designers and photographers. In 1994 she turned her skills to programme making, working on the innovative strand of films 'Video Diaries/Video Nation' for the BBC.
Ruhi has directed and filmed across the Islamic world making a two-part series for Channel 4 on women and Islam, and the awards winning film 'The Rock Star and the Mullahs' about music and Islam in Pakistan.
Awards 2004 pictures
The Trust and Sony
Farewell from Miles Flint
The Trust | Awards | Training | The Free Lens | Links | Feedback | Home
The Rory Peck Trust
7 Southwick Mews, London W2 1JG, UK
Tel: +44 (0)20 7262 5272
Fax: +44 (0)20 7262 2162
e-mail: info@rorypecktrust.org
Limited Company No.
35524586 Registered in England and Wales
Charity Reg. No. 1071844