About this Event
When war and genocide are everpresent, we ask ourselves as filmmakers how to tell meaningful stories. How and where do journalism and documentary intersect? Our upcoming speaker Jess Kelly screens excerpts from her past work and discusses how she navigates investigative journalism and film as a medium.
Jess Kelly is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker based between Cairo and London. She has dedicated much of her career to making investigative documentaries in the Middle East. In 2021 she was nominated for a BAFTA for her films, “Silicon Valley’s Online Slave Market” (BBC, 2019) and “The Schools That Chain Boys” (BBC, 2020). The later tells the story of systemic child abuse in Sudan's Islamic Schools through the eyes of a former pupil. It won an RTS award, an Amnesty award and was nominated for a Grierson Award. Her latest documentary, "Under Poisoned Skies" (2022, BBC) is an incendiary on-the-ground investigation into modern ‘sacrifice zones’ in southern Iraq, where oil companies' profits are prioritized over human life. In 2018, she directed "Palestine Underground" which follows a crew of techno and hip hop producers in the Occupied Territories and sheds light on the restraints Palestinian artists face as a result of Israel's Closure Policy.
About THE BENCH
The Bench is a research group and collective space looking at expanded film form at the insterstices of documentary, anthropology, fiction, and art. Hosting alternating sessions of screenings, visiting speakers, and workshops, our aim is to widen the scope of influences and inspirations for UCL students (and beyond) to better inform and develop research practices and subsequent work.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
UCL East - Marshgate, 7 Sidings Street, London, United Kingdom
GBP 0.00
