An inspiring series of short documentaries inspired by Nobel Peace Prize Laureates including the South African Miagi Orchestra, driven by the legacy of Nelson Mandela.
Johannesburg, South Africa (11 June 2020) – National Geographic has released a set of five short documentary films, inspired by The Nobel Prize, directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Orlando von Einsiedel. Now available to view on the National Geographic Youtube channel, each film each gives centre stage to the legacy of a different Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
These films celebrate the impact and influence of Nobel Peace Prize Laureates around the world and include An Unfinished Symphony which showcases the South African Miagi Orchestra, which is inspired by the work and legacy of Nelson Mandela, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. The film The Lost Forest follows the remarkable team of climate change scientists that embarked on an extraordinary mission in Mozambique for which they won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007.
The perseverance of Nobel Peace Prize winner Kamal Hussein who reunited thousands of Rohingya families after the scourge of ethnic cleansing in Myanmar is captured in Lost and Found. Into the Fire shows the remarkable work of Hana Khider, who led an all-female team of deminers in an area ravaged by ISIS. The unflinching tenacity of amputee Makur Diet in war-torn South Sudan is encapsulated in Still Human, which documents his devotion to helping others with similar injuries.
“These outstanding documentaries pay tribute to the strength of the human spirit, and the remarkable work of these people, who, each in their own way, made a positive impact on the world. To receive a Nobel Peace Prize is one of the highest honours for making a long-lasting contribution to humanity. These films also show the tremendous impact that these recipients continue to inspire in their different societies” said Evert van der Veer, Vice President, Media Networks, The Walt Disney Company Africa.
The five films are now available to view on the National Geographic Youtube channel.
THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE documentaries are produced by Grain Media and Rideback, directed by Orlando von Einsiedel and distributed by National Geographic Documentary Films.
An Unfinished Symphony
The Miagi Orchestra is a South African orchestra dedicated to helping the nation overcome decades of violence, conflict and division through the power of music. The film follows two of its musicians: Tsepo Pooe, who grew up in Soweto Township; and Lize Schaap, who grew up in wealthy Pretoria. Through their eyes, and differing experiences of growing up in South Africa, we understand the enormous impact apartheid continues to have, but also see hope for a brighter future for the country. The Miagi Orchestra’s mission is inspired by the work and legacy of Nelson Mandela, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.
Lost and Found
In the chaos of the world’s largest refugee camp, Kamal Hussein is a beacon of hope. From his small ramshackle hut, and armed only with a microphone, he has taken it upon himself to try and reunite the thousands of Rohingya families who have been torn apart by violence and ethnic cleansing in Myanmar. However, in finding lost family members and bringing them back together, he is not just helping them. He is also finding peace for himself. Kamal’s work is supported by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1954 and 1981.
*Lost And Found premiered at Telluride Film Festival 2019, and won the Audience Award at AFI Fest 2019.
Into the Fire
In an area of Iraq destroyed by ISIS, Hana Khider leads an all-female team of Yazidi deminers in their attempts to clear the land of mines. Their job involves painstakingly searching for booby traps in bombed out buildings and fields, where one wrong move means certain death. Hana works for the Mines Advisory Group, an organisation who are part of the ‘International Campaign to Ban Landmines’, a coalition awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997.
*Into the Fire premiered at Telluride Film Festival 2019.
The Lost Forest
An international team of scientists and explorers go on an extraordinary mission in Mozambique to reach a forest that no human has set foot in. The team, including some of the world’s foremost climate change experts, aims to collect data from the forest to help in our understanding of how climate change is affecting our planet. But the forest sits atop a mountain, and to reach it, the team must first climb a sheer 100m wall of rock. The scientist’s work is based on research conducted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007.
Still Human
In war-torn South Sudan, Makur Diet knows all too well the horror of conflict. Over ten years ago, he lost his leg to a bullet. Despairing for his future, Makur was close to giving up, until one day he was given a prosthetic leg, and with it a new lease of life. Makur now devotes his life to helping others who have been injured in the war to walk again.
Makur works at an International Committee of the Red Cross centre in South Sudan. The ICRC have received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1917, 1944 and 1963.
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