Ben Cashdan

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Ben Cashdan is a filmmaker and television producer in South Africa. His work focuses on struggles for social justice in Africa and elsewhere, and the impact of market-based economic policies and globalisation on the poor.

Cashdan was South African producer for Harry Belafonte's biographical documentary Sing Your Song. Cashdan has also produced 4 episodes of The World Debate on BBC World News. He also developed and produced the first season of South2North, the first global talk show to be produced in Africa for a major global broadcaster. South2North airs on Al Jazeera English. In December 2013 Cashdan produced an episode of BBC Question Time on South Africa after Mandela. [1] [2]

Cashdan's produced the documentary "Two Trevors Go To Washington", a satirical look at two different perspectives on globalisation - seen through the eyes of South African finance minister Trevor Manuel, and Soweto social justice activist Trevor Ngwane. [3] "Two Trevors" has been translated into 5 languages and shown at festivals and on broadcasters around the world. [4] [5] [6]

In 2005 Cashdan produced a biographical documentary about former South African President Thabo Mbeki, entitled "Unauthorised: Mbeki". The documentary was pulled off air on 14 June 2006 by the South African Broadcasting Corporation a few hours before it was scheduled to air, leading to accusations against the SABC of censoring views critical of the government. [7] [8] [9] Responding to public pressure the documentary was shown by the SABC in 2007. [10] In December 2013, Cashdan's TV talk show "The Big Debate" was also pulled off air at the last minute by the SABC, again leading to accusations of censorship. [11] [12] [13] [14] The Big Debate moved to independent broadcasters e News Channel Africa (eNCA) and e.tv.

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References

  1. ↑ "Question Time to broadcast from South Africa". BBC.
  2. ↑ "Question Time". IMDB.
  3. ↑ "Two Trevors go to Washington". Harvard University Library. Archived from the original on 2014-02-24.
  4. ↑ "The Two Trevors Go to Washington". Washington City Paper.
  5. ↑ "Economy – South Africa: A Tale of Two Trevors". Inter Press Service.
  6. ↑ "Embraced by Brazil and shunned by Switzerland: the story of the two trevors". Pambazuka News. Archived from the original on 2014-02-24.
  7. ↑ "State television channel cancels critical Mbeki documentary". The Guardian.
  8. ↑ "'No one must see Mbeki film' - SABC". Sowetan. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2014-02-24.
  9. ↑ "SABC gags Mbeki 'unauthorised' documentary". Independent Online.
  10. ↑ "SABC insists Mbeki doccie will finally be aired". Mail & Guardian.
  11. ↑ "Canning of The Big Debate: R2K suspects political interference". City Press. Archived from the original on 2013-10-28.
  12. ↑ "Right2Know Campaign protests against 'rampant censorship' at SABC". Business Day.
  13. ↑ "No big debate: the SABC, censorship, and more censorship on Media Freedom Day". Daily Maverick.
  14. ↑ "State Censorship by the SABC: Cancellation of The Big Debate". FXI.
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