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Mehran Bozorgnia
German
Afghan Life Crumbles Despite Foreign Aid
Shot in Afghanistan October - December 2008
Commissioned & broadcast by ITN / Channel 4 News Independent Fund
Mehran's film is an extraordinary account of life for ordinary Afghans seven years after NATO entered the country.
It includes a heart-breaking scene of one family family selling their child for money to survive the winter and shows how, amidst the poverty and lawlessness, local Taliban leaders have stepped into the power vacuum.
Mehran also penetrated a group of kidnappers in the business of snatching and holding wealthy children.
The judges said this was a stunning piece of work. One said: "It was very thoughtful camera work. The pictures told the complete story - you could have played the piece with no narrative, and it would still have worked."
Biography
Mehran Bozorgnia was born in Iran but is now based in Germany. He has over twenty five years experience covering wars and conflict zones as a freelance cameraman and documentary maker, working extensively in the Middle East, Central and Southern Asia.
In 2007 he won first prize for current affairs at the New York film festival and in 2008 he was nominated as TV journalist of the year in Germany. He is a previous Rory Peck Awards finalist.
David Niblock: Features finalist
