True Vision TV for Sky Documentaries
Two murdered sisters are at the centre of this moving series, which exposes the policing failures and institutional racism that compounded a tragedy.
The documentary helped force accountability at the highest levels, sparking front-page coverage and widespread debate that saw police misconduct rules tighten after broadcast. It features powerful testimony from mother of the sisters, Mina Smallman, and their friends, to ensure Bibaa and Nicole are remembered as joyful and creative people whose courage and resistance likely prevented their killer from striking again.
The judges were moved by the way in which the doc gave voice to the family, with one calling it an “incredibly sensitive, warm and human” account and another praising the way in which friends and family “drove and owned the narrative”.
“The very honest interviews offered the sense that there was a real building of trust with the family,” said another.
One judge said the “beautiful and important” series highlights an “urgent need” for reform within the police by shedding a light on “how some people are considered more worthy of protection than others”.
“This was bold commissioning from Sky, which stuck its neck out for a story that deserves attention,” another agreed.
Some pointed to “lovely editing touches” and use of archive to give the series light and shade, as well as “artistic” abstract depictions instead of reconstructions.
“This was dignified and appropriate, especially the moment of the discovery of the girls’ bodies,” they said.
“Visually, it challenges some of the conventions of true crime docs. Good direction and clever editing delivers huge emotional impact,” said yet another judge.
“It is devastatingly powerful and proves TV really can make a difference.”
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Life and Death Row
BBC Studios for BBC3
This reboot set out to compassionately tell an unfolding story of inmates on death row from multiple perspectives without judgement. Cutting between actuality and archive the series asks new questions of the justice system including state power, influence of true crime podcasts and developments in neuroscience. Judges were particularly impressed with the craft behind the series despite being made “on a shoestring budget”, as well as the “remarkable” access.
SHORTLISTED
Ambulance
Dragonfly Film & TV for BBC
The 14th series of this blue lights show has exposed some of the biggest challenges facing the NHS and the wider country in an accessible, digestible and humorous way. The judges noted the way in which the “well crafted” series resonated with younger audiences, with a particular story focused on mental health going viral on social media. “It is a harrowing yet affirming depiction of human vulnerability and the need for connection we all share,” said one.
Operation Dark Phone: Murder by Text
The Garden for Channel 4
Five years in the making, this true crime story goes inside the hacking of an encrypted phone network used by organised crime groups. It weaves candid interviews with police, journalists and lawyers with the criminals’ messages which play like screenplay dialogue. The judges enjoyed the mix of documentary and drama, which one described as “tense and filmic”.
The Undercover Police Scandal: Love and Lies Exposed
Raw for ITV1 & ITVX
Revealing an overlooked scandal in modern British history, the judges praised this “compelling” story for its unprecedented access to a group of women who were deceived into relationships with undercover officers. Coming together – some anonymously - to reminisce and piece together the patterns of deceit, they reveal how the legal battle is continuing to this day.
Tsunami: Race Against Time
Blast Films for National Geographic
Weaving newly discovered footage with personal accounts from over 100 survivors and rescuers from around the world, this series tells a definitive story of the devastating events of 26 December 2004. The judges were particularly moved by the accounts of individual moments of heroism which “gave some hope in the narrative of this terrible disaster”.
AWARD SPONSORED BY THE COMPLETE CAMERA COMPANY
No comments yet