Bahrain: Shouting in the Dark

Last updated
Bahrain: Shouting in the Dark
Bahrain shouting in the dark.png
GenreParticipatory documentary film
Written byMay Ying Welsh
Directed byMay Ying Welsh
Country of origin Bahrain
Original languageEnglish
Production
Producer Jon Blair
EditorTuki Laumea
Running time51 minutes (1 hour slot, including 2 quick bulletin rundowns and fillers before, during and after)
Original release
Network Al Jazeera English
ReleaseAugust 4, 2011 (2011-08-04)
Related
Bahrain: Fighting for change [1]
Bahrain: Audacity of hope [1]

Bahrain: Shouting in the Dark is a television documentary film produced by Qatar-based news channel Al Jazeera English about the 2011 Bahraini uprising. The film was first screened on 4 August 2011, featuring footage recorded during protests and police crackdowns, interviews with activists and physicians, as well as footage broadcast by Bahraini state television.

Contents

Production

Shouting in the Dark was written, directed and shot undercover in Bahrain by Al Jazeera journalist and filmmaker May Ying Welsh. It was edited by Al Jazeera's Tuki Laumea. The Executive Producer is veteran filmmaker Jon Blair. [2]

Shouting in the Dark has been translated into 8 languages, including Arabic, French, [3] Persian, [4] Czech, [5] Swedish, [6] Finnish, [7] Estonian, [8] and Portuguese, [9] by various national broadcasters and by fans.

Reception

In the first four days, the documentary received almost 200,000 views on YouTube. [10] Bahraini Foreign Minister Khalid Al Khalifah criticised Qatar on his official Twitter account after the airing of the film:

من الواضح ان في قطر هناك من لا يريد خير للبحرين .. و ما الفيلم المكيف في الجزيرة انجليزي الا خير مثال على العداء الغير مفهوم It's clear that in Qatar there are those who don't want anything good for Bahrain. And this film on Al Jazeera English is the best example of this inexplicable hostility. [10] [11]

Rumours also developed on the internet of the Bahraini intention to cut off relations with Qatar; [12] however this was denied by Bahrain's foreign ministry. [13] [14] The film was finally re-broadcast on 11 August and was followed by a discussion [15] with the first deputy chairman of the Consultative Council of Bahrain Jamal Fakhro as the pro-government guest. [16]

Awards

Bahrain: Shouting in the Dark has won seven major journalism, film and television awards:

Bahrain: Shouting in the Dark was also nominated for a BAFTA, [25] and for a Royal Television Society Award. [26]

Other Al Jazeera films

Al Jazeera English has produced two additional films on Bahrain under the People & Power documentary strand: Bahrain: Fighting for Change, [27] and its follow-up Bahrain: Audacity of Hope. [28]

Related Research Articles

Baḥraynunā is the national anthem of Bahrain. Originally composed as an instrumental in 1942, lyrics were added in 1985, which were changed in 2002 following the country's transformation from an emirate into a kingdom.

Jon Blair, CBE, is a South African-born British writer, film producer, and director of documentary films, drama, and comedy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in Bahrain</span>

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people living in Bahrain face legal challenges and discrimination not experienced by non-LGBT residents. While same-sex sexual activity was decriminalised in 1976, laws against indecency remain and are used to target gender and sexual minorities. Offences under these provisions allow for sentences of imprisonment, fines and deportation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Al Ahli SC (Doha)</span> Multi-sport club in Qatar

Al Ahli SC, also known as Al Ahli Doha is a Qatari multi-sport club based in Doha. It is most notable for its professional association football section. Their home ground is the Hamad bin Khalifa Stadium. Founded in 1950, it is the oldest sports club in Qatar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Al Khuwayr</span> Abandoned village in Al Shamal, Qatar

Al Khuwayr is an abandoned village in northwest Qatar, located in the municipality of Ash Shamal. It is a popular domestic tourist attraction due to its history and ruined structures.

<i>Al-Wasat</i> (Bahraini newspaper) Arabic-language daily newspaper

Al-Wasat, also Alwasat, was an Arabic-language daily newspaper in Manama, Bahrain. Al-Wasat was generally regarded as the only independent newspaper in Bahrain. The newspaper ran for 15 years, during which is provided reporting unique to Bahrain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mohammed Haddad</span> Bahraini composer and music critic (born 1975)

Mohammed Haddad is a Bahraini composer and music critic. He is an active artist in the music scene of Bahrain and a leading composer in the film scores of Bahraini films. He is best known for his work on the soundtrack of the critically acclaimed Bahraini motion picture A Bahraini Tale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 Bahraini uprising</span> Anti-government protests

The 2011Bahraini uprising was a series of anti-government protests in Bahrain led by the Shia-dominant and some Sunni minority Bahraini opposition from 2011 until 2014. The protests were inspired by the unrest of the 2011 Arab Spring and protests in Tunisia and Egypt and escalated to daily clashes after the Bahraini government repressed the revolt with the support of the Gulf Cooperation Council and Peninsula Shield Force. The Bahraini protests were a series of demonstrations, amounting to a sustained campaign of non-violent civil disobedience and some violent resistance in the Persian Gulf country of Bahrain. As part of the revolutionary wave of protests in the Middle East and North Africa following the self-immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi in Tunisia, the Bahraini protests were initially aimed at achieving greater political freedom and equality for the 70% Shia population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pearl Roundabout</span> Circular traffic intersection in Manama, Bahrain; destroyed during the 2011 uprising

The GCC Roundabout, known as Pearl Roundabout or Lulu Roundabout (Arabic: دوار اللؤلؤ Dawwār al-luʾluʾ , "Roundabout of the pearl " was a roundabout located near the financial district of Manama, Bahrain. The roundabout was named after the pearl monument that previously stood on the site and was destroyed on 18 March 2011 by government forces as part of a crackdown on protesters during the Bahraini uprising of 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nabeel Rajab</span> Bahraini human rights activist (born 1964)

Nabeel Rajab is a Bahraini human rights activist and opposition figure. He is the president of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR), a member of the Advisory Committee of Human Rights Watch's Middle East Division, deputy secretary general for the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), member of the Advisory Board of the Bahrain Rehabilitation and Anti-Violence Organization (BRAVO), co-founder of the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR), and former chairman of CARAM Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bloody Thursday (Bahrain)</span> 4th day of the 2011 Bahraini uprising

Bloody Thursday is the name given by Bahraini protesters to 17 February 2011, the fourth day of the Bahraini uprising as part of the Arab Spring. Bahraini security forces launched a pre-dawn raid to clear Pearl Roundabout in Manama of the protesters camped there, most of whom were at the time asleep in tents; four were killed and about 300 injured. The event led some to demand even more political reform than they had been before, calling for an end to the reign of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Casualties of the 2011 Bahraini uprising and its aftermath</span>

As of 15 March 2013, the Bahraini uprising of 2011 and its aftermath resulted in 122 deaths. The number of injuries is hard to determine due to government clamp-down on hospitals and medical personnel. The last accurate estimate for injuries is back to 16 March 2011 and sits at about 2708. The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry concluded that many detainees were subjected to torture and other forms of physical and psychological abuse while in custody, five of whom returned dead bodies. The BICI report finds the government responsible for 20 deaths. Opposition activists say that the current number is 88 including 43 who allegedly died as a result of excessive use of tear gas.

The following is an incomplete timeline of events that followed the Bahraini uprising of 2011 from July to December 2011. This phase saw many popular protests, escalation in violence and the establishment of an independent government commission to look into the previous events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of the 2011 Bahraini uprising</span>

The following is a timeline of the Bahraini uprising from February to March 2011, beginning with the start of protests in February 2011 and including the Saudi and Emirati-backed crackdown from 15 March.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">March of loyalty to martyrs</span> 2011 protest in Manama, Bahrain as part of the countrys ongoing uprising

The March of loyalty to martyrs was a protest on 22 February 2011 in Manama, Bahrain. Tens of thousands participated in the protest, one of the largest in the Bahraini uprising. Named after the seven victims killed by police and army forces during previous protests, the march filled the space between Bahrain mall and Pearl Roundabout. Protesters carried Bahrain's flag and demanded the fall of the government, implementation of a constitutional monarchy and other reforms, with some of them also demanding the end of the regime.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of Eker</span>

The siege of Eker refers to the Bahraini security forces imposing a lockdown of the village of Eker, situated about 20 km south of the capital Manama, Bahrain.

Abdul Hakim Ibrahim Muhammad Al-Shammari is a Bahraini businessman and politician.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fareed Ramadan</span> Bahraini writer and film producer (1961–2020)

Fareed Ramadan is a Bahraini novelist, screenwriter, and film producer. He is often considered one of the most prominent Gulf novelists and worked to deconstruct the discourse of racism through his work on cultural identities in Bahrain, to the point that some critics called him a "novelist of identities." Among his most prominent works are the novel The English Ocean and the screenplay of the film The Sleeping Tree.

The Order of Sheikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa is a Bahraini order of merit. It is the highest decoration in the Kingdom of Bahrain and is named after Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the former Emir of Bahrain.

References

  1. 1 2 A half-hour documentary made for People & Power strand.
  2. ↑ "Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival" . Retrieved 26 January 2012.[ permanent dead link ]
  3. ↑ Radio Television Suisse(RTS). "Bahrein: Un Cri Dans la Nuit" . Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  4. ↑ "فرياد در تاريكي" . Retrieved 29 September 2011.
  5. ↑ Česko-Slovenská filmová databáze. "Bahrajnský výkřik do tmy" . Retrieved 22 March 2012.
  6. ↑ Sveriges Television (SVT). "ett rop i morkret". Archived from the original on 31 July 2013. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
  7. ↑ Yleisradio(YLE). "Bahrainin mykka huuto" . Retrieved 21 March 2012.
  8. ↑ Eesti Televisioon (ETV). "Unustatud revolutsioon". Archived from the original on 13 February 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
  9. ↑ Radio e Televisao de Portugal(RTP). "Presos no Barem" . Retrieved 7 September 2012.
  10. 1 2 "The Stream - Bahrain Foreign Minister Criticizes Al Jazeera Documentary on Twitter". AJStream. 8 August 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
  11. ↑ Khalid Al Khalifah (4 August 2011). "Twitter / Khalid Alkhalifa: من الواضح ان في قطر هناك م ..." (in Arabic). Retrieved 15 August 2011.
  12. ↑ Middle East Online (5 August 2011). قال وقيل في الخليج: أنباء عن قطع البحرين علاقتها بقطر على خلفية برنامج الجزيرة (in Arabic). Retrieved 15 August 2011.
  13. ↑ "Bahrain denies it has plans to snap Qatar ties". 7 August 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
  14. ↑ The Guardian (August 7, 2011). "Bahrain protests to Qatar over al-Jazeera film". London. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
  15. ↑ The New York Times (August 9, 2011). "Al Jazeera Changes Plan to Rerun Documentary" . Retrieved 15 August 2011.
  16. ↑ Al Jazeera English (August 12, 2011). "Bahrain: Divided nation, disputed narratives" . Retrieved 15 August 2011.
  17. ↑ Foreign Press Association. "FPA Media Awards 2011 - Winners". Archived from the original on 22 March 2012. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
  18. ↑ Brian Harmon. "LIU ANNOUNCES 2011 GEORGE POLK AWARDS IN JOURNALISM" . Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  19. ↑ Al Jazeera. "Al Jazeera's Bahrain documentary wins award" . Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  20. ↑ Scripps Howard Foundation. "Scripps Howard 2011 Award Winners". Archived from the original on 3 May 2012. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
  21. ↑ Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights. "2012 Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award Winners". Archived from the original on 13 November 2012. Retrieved 8 April 2012.
  22. ↑ Amnesty International UK. "Winners of the 2012 Media Awards". Archived from the original on 12 January 2013. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
  23. ↑ "Further accolade for Al Jazeera's Bahrain documentary". Rapid TV News. Retrieved 17 June 2012.
  24. ↑ CINE. "Spring 2012 CINE Golden Eagle Award Recipients" . Retrieved 19 June 2012.[ permanent dead link ]
  25. ↑ BBC News (27 May 2012). "Bafta TV Awards 2012: The winners" . Retrieved 27 May 2012.
  26. ↑ Royal Television Society. "RTS Announces Winners of Television Journalism Awards 2010/2011". Archived from the original on 28 February 2012. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  27. ↑ Al Jazeera. "Bahrain: Fighting for Change" . Retrieved 9 March 2011.
  28. ↑ Al Jazeera. "Bahrain: Audacity of Hope'" . Retrieved 22 February 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.