Damien Lewis (filmmaker) on:
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Damien Gavin Lewis (born March 1966) is a British author and filmmaker who has spent over twenty years reporting from and writing about conflict zones in many countries. He has produced about twenty films.
He has written more than fifteen books, some of which have been published in over thirty languages. His books have appeared on bestseller lists in many countries. He is a Fellow of the
Winston Churchill Memorial Trust
Winston Churchill Memorial Trusts (WCMT) are three independent but related living memorials to Sir Winston Churchill, based in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. They exist for the purpose of administering Churchill Fellowships, a ...
, and a Fellow of the
Royal Geographical Society
The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), often shortened to RGS, is a learned society and professional body for geography based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical scien ...
.
Career
Lewis worked as a war correspondent, and between 1991 and 2005 he wrote, directed, produced and filmed a number of documentary films for
National Geographic
''National Geographic'' (formerly the ''National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as NAT GEO) is a popular American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. Known for its photojournalism, it is one of the most widely ...
, the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
,
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...
, and
Discovery
Discovery may refer to:
* Discovery (observation), observing or finding something unknown
* Discovery (fiction), a character's learning something unknown
* Discovery (law), a process in courts of law relating to evidence
Discovery, The Discovery ...
amongst others, largely focusing on investigating and exposing environmental and human rights violations in Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
In 1991 Lewis's independently-funded documentary film ''Parks or People?'', about conflict between rainforest conservationists and indigenous tribes in the
Congo, won the
Wildscreen Film Festival
Wildscreen is a wildlife conservation charity based in Bristol, England.
The charity was founded in December 1987 from a trust which had operated since 1982, with the initial aim of encouraging and applauding excellence in the production of nat ...
Golden Panda Award.
In 1998 he created a documentary film for the BBC, ''Hidden Cost of Heroin'', exposing how
heroin
Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a potent opioid mainly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects. Medical grade diamorphine is used as a pure hydrochloride salt. Various white and brow ...
is traded for wildlife on the
Burmese border. This film won at the BBC
One World Awards.
In 2020 Damien Lewis announced his retirement, citing his children’s health as one of his reasons.
In 2000 Lewis's documentary film ''Death in the Air'', about the use of
chemical weapons
A chemical weapon (CW) is a specialized Ammunition, munition that uses chemicals chemical engineering, formulated to inflict death or harm on humans. According to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), this can be an ...
in the
Sudanese civil war, was a finalist in the British
Rory Peck Awards, but its accuracy was disputed by the London-based European-Sudanese Public Affairs Council.
In 2004 Lewis wrote his first book, ''Slave'', a novel which won The Index on Censorship Book Award at the
Index on Censorship
Index on Censorship is an organization campaigning for freedom of expression, which produces a quarterly magazine of the same name from London. It is directed by the non-profit-making Writers and Scholars International, Ltd (WSI) in association w ...
Awards. This book was later adapted as a film, ''
I Am Slave
''I Am Slave'' is a 2010 television film produced for Channel 4 on the story of one woman's fight for freedom from modern-day slavery. It premiered on Channel 4 on 30 August 2010. The movie is mostly based on the experiences of Mende Nazer, a Su ...
'', which won the Drama Award at the
BBC One World Media Awards in 2011. Slave was also adapted into a stage play: ''Slave - A Question of Freedom'', by
Kevin Fegan
Kevin Fegan (born 1957 in Shirebrook, Derbyshire UK) is a playwright and poet.
Fegan received a commission for a play centred around former MP Dennis Skinner, entitled ''The Palace of Varieties – life and times of Dennis Skinner'', performed at ...
, produced and directed by Caroline Clegg and Feelgood Theatre Productions. It won Best Stage Production at the inaugural Media Awards 2011 in association with the
Human Trafficking Foundation The Human Trafficking Foundation is a London-based charity founded by the Conservative Party politician and former Member of Parliament, Anthony Steen. Tamara Barnett runs the NGO and Rachel Smith runs the London Project and National Network Coordi ...
, and Best New Play at the
Manchester Evening News Awards.
In 2005 Lewis's documentary ''War Hospital'' produced by
CTV Television Network
The CTV Television Network, commonly known as CTV, is a Canadian English-language terrestrial television network. Launched in 1961 and acquired by BCE Inc. in 2000, CTV is Canada's largest privately owned television network and is now a divis ...
and the
National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; french: Office national du film du Canada (ONF)) is Canada's public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary f ...
, about
International Committee of the Red Cross
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC; french: Comité international de la Croix-Rouge) is a humanitarian organization which is based in Geneva, Switzerland, and it is also a three-time Nobel Prize Laureate. State parties (signato ...
doctors working in the world's largest field hospital in
Sudan
Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
, won the Best of the Festival Award at the
Columbus International Film & Video Festival
The Columbus International Film + Animation Festival is a Columbus, Ohio, United States annual film festival which is designed to encourage and promote the use of film and video in all forms of education and communication.
It is the first and ol ...
.
Lewis has written other fiction and nonfiction books. In 2006 he was chosen as one of the "Nation's Twenty Favourite Authors" by the UK Government's
Quick Reads Initiative ''Quick Reads'' are a series of short books by bestselling authors and celebrities. With no more than 128 pages, they are designed to encourage adults who do not read often, or find reading difficult, to discover the joy of books.
Quick Reads are a ...
in association with
World Book Day
World Book Day, also known as World Book and Copyright Day or International Day of the Book, is an annual event organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to promote reading, publishing, and copyrig ...
.
In February 2018 Lewis became a patron for the Scottish charity
Bravehound which provides assistance dogs for veterans.
Books
Military
*''Operation Certain Death : The Inside Story of the SAS's Greatest Battle'' (Century, 2004) - The account of
Operation Barras
Operation Barras was a British Army operation that took place in Sierra Leone on 10 September 2000, during the late stages of Sierra Leone Civil War, the nation's civil war. The operation aimed to release five British soldiers of the Royal Ir ...
, the attempt by the SAS to rescue the British Forces captured by guerrilla militia group the
West Side Boys
The West Side Boys, also known as the West Side Niggaz or the West Side Junglers, were an armed group in Sierra Leone, sometimes described as a splinter Political faction, faction of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council.
They captured and h ...
in
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierra ...
.
*''Bloody Heroes : Ultimate Betrayal – Ultimate Firepower - Ultimate Revenge : The True Story of Britain's Secret Warriors in Afghanistan'' (Century 2006) - The account of British and American special forces unit deployed against
Al Qaeda
Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military targets in various countr ...
in Afghanistan.
*''Apache Dawn : Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned'' (Sphere, 2008) A chronicle of the apache pilots deployed in the
Afghanistan war.
*''Fire strike 7/9'' (Ebury, 2010) An account of an
apache helicopter
The Boeing AH-64 Apache () is an American twin-turboshaft attack helicopter with a tailwheel-type landing gear arrangement and a tandem cockpit for a crew of two. It features a nose-mounted sensor suite for target acquisition and night visi ...
Fire Support Team's tour of Afghanistan.
*''It's all about Treo : Life and War with the World's Bravest Dog'' (
Quercus Publishing
Quercus is a formerly independent publishing house, based in London, that was acquired by Hodder & Stoughton in 2014. It was founded in 2004 by Mark Smith and Wayne Davies.
Quercus is known for its lists in crime (publishing such authors as El ...
, 2012) - The true story of
Treo - the world's most highly decorated living dog – whose job it was to sniff out bombs in
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
.
*''Zero Six Bravo : 60 Special Forces, 100,000 Enemy, The Explosive True Story'' (Quercus, 2013) - Tells the story of a
Special Boat Service
The Special Boat Service (SBS) is the special forces unit of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy. The SBS can trace its origins back to the Second World War when the Army Special Boat Section was formed in 1940. After the Second World War, the Roya ...
unit caught in a ferocious enemy ambush in
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
, who managed to inflict massive damage on their enemies despite being outnumbered and outgunned.
*''War Dog: The No-man's Land Puppy Who Took to the Skies'' (Sphere, 2013, ) - The true story of a
German Shepherd
The German Shepherd or Alsatian is a German breed of working dog of medium to large size. The breed was developed by Max von Stephanitz using various traditional German herding dogs from 1899.
It was originally bred as a herding dog, for he ...
puppy
Antis, rescued from World War Two
no man's land
No man's land is waste or unowned land or an uninhabited or desolate area that may be under dispute between parties who leave it unoccupied out of fear or uncertainty. The term was originally used to define a contested territory or a dump ...
in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
by Czech fighter pilot
Robert Bozdech
The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...
, and their lives together.
*''Churchill's Secret Warriors: The Explosive True Story of the Special Forces Desperadoes of WWII'' (Quercus, 2014) - The story of
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 Winston Churchill in the Second World War, dur ...
's first 'deniable' secret operative force to operate behind enemy lines in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
.
*''
Judy: A Dog in a Million: The Heartwarming Story of WWII's Only Animal Prisoner of War'' (Quercus, 2014) - An account of the only dog to be declared an official
Prisoner of War
A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.
Belligerents hold prisoners of wa ...
in
Sumatra
Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...
in World War Two.
*
The Nazi Hunters' (Quercus, 2015) - About the SAS's secret mission after WWII to hunt the SS commanders responsible for the murder of their comrades.
*''Hunting Hitler's Nukes: The Secret Race to Stop the Nazi Bomb'' (2016), , details the
Norwegian heavy water sabotage
The Norwegian heavy water sabotage ( nb, Tungtvannsaksjonen; nn, Tungtvassaksjonen) was a series of Allied-led efforts to halt German heavy water production via hydroelectric plants in Nazi Germany-occupied Norway during World War II, involvi ...
by Norwegian & British Commandos of the
Vemork Hydroelectric Plant during WW2.
*
SAS Ghost Patrol' (Quercus, 2017) ;
LRDG/
SAS raids on
Tobruk
Tobruk or Tobruck (; grc, Ἀντίπυργος, ''Antipyrgos''; la, Antipyrgus; it, Tobruch; ar, طبرق, Tubruq ''Ṭubruq''; also transliterated as ''Tobruch'' and ''Tubruk'') is a port city on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near th ...
and
Barce in 1942.
Biographies and memoirs
*''Slave'' (
PublicAffairs
PublicAffairs (or PublicAffairs Books) is an imprint of Perseus Books, an American book publishing company located in New York City and has been a part of the Hachette Book Group since 2016.
PublicAffairs was launched in 1997 by Peter Osnos. ...
, 2004) The life story of
Mende Nazer
Mende Nazer (born c. 1982) is a UK-resident, Sudanese author and human rights activist. Nazer was a slave in Sudan and in London for eight years. She later co-wrote the 2002 book ''Slave: My True Story''.
Abduction
Nazer is a Nuba woman from a v ...
who was stolen from her village in the
Nuba mountains
The Nuba Mountains ( ar, جبال النوبة), also referred to as the Nuba Hills, is an area located in South Kordofan, Sudan. The area is home to a group of indigenous ethnic groups known collectively as the Nuba peoples. In the Middle Ages, ...
and sold into life as a domestic slave in
Khartoum
Khartoum or Khartum ( ; ar, الخرطوم, Al-Khurṭūm, din, Kaartuɔ̈m) is the capital of Sudan. With a population of 5,274,321, its metropolitan area is the largest in Sudan. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile, flowing n ...
and then
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
.
*''
Tears of the Desert : Surviving The Genocide - One Woman's True Story'' (Hodder & Stoughton 2008) The biography of Sudanese doctor
Halima Bashir who suffered greatly as a result of speaking out about the torture of her people by the
Janjaweed
The Janjaweed ( ar, جنجويد, Janjawīd, lit=mounted gunman; also transliterated ''Janjawid'') are a Sudanese Arab militia group that operate in Sudan, particularly Darfur, and eastern Chad. Using the United Nations definition, the Janjaweed ...
Arab militias.
"One Woman's True Story of Surviving the Horrors of Darfur"
''The Scotsman
''The Scotsman'' is a Scottish compact newspaper and daily news website headquartered in Edinburgh. First established as a radical political paper in 1817, it began daily publication in 1855 and remained a broadsheet until August 2004. Its par ...
''. Review by Lesley McDowell, 9 August 2008
*''Little Daughter : A Memoir of Survival in Burma and the West'' (Simon & Schuster, 2009) The life story of Zoya Phan
Zoya Phan (born 27 October 1980) is a Burmese political activist. She resides in the United Kingdom, and is the Campaign Manager of the human rights organization Burma Campaign UK. She was an outspoken critic of the Burmese government when it ...
, a Karen refugee from war-torn Burma
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
who went on to become the face of Burma's enslaved people.
*''Homeland: An Extraordinary Story of Hope and Survival'' (Simon & Schuster, 2010) Tells the story of U.S. President Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
's Kenyan half-brother George Obama who gave up a life of crime to help improve the lives of children in the Nairobi
Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ha ...
slums.
*''Forbidden Lessons in a Kabul Guesthouse : The True Story of One Woman Who Risked Everything to Bring Hope to Afghanistan'' (Virago, 2011) Is the story of how Suraya Sadeed set up an underground school for girls in Kabul
Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into 22 municipal districts. Acco ...
, offering hope and aid to thousands of fellow Afghans.
*''Against a Tide of Evil : How One Man Became the Whistleblower to the First Mass Murder of the Twenty-First Century'' (Mainstream Publishing 2013) - The story of Mukesh Kapila
Mukesh Kapila M.D. CBE (born 1955) is an author, medical doctor, professor and senior humanitarian.
He is a specialist in crisis and conflict management, humanitarian affairs, post-conflict and development, and HIV/AIDS. He has worked for th ...
, the former head of the United Nations in Sudan, who brought about justice for those responsible for the Darfur genocide
The Darfur genocide is the systematic killing of ethnic Darfuri people which has occurred during the ongoing conflict in Western Sudan. It has become known as the first genocide of the 21st century. The genocide, which is being carried out agai ...
.
*''Agent Josephine: American Beauty, French Hero, British Spy'' (PublicAffairs, 2022)
Thrillers
*''Desert Claw'' (Arrow, 2006) The fictional tale of ex-SAS soldier Mat Kilbride who takes on a black ops
A black operation or black op is a covert or clandestine operation by a government agency, a military unit or a paramilitary organization; it can include activities by private companies or groups. Key features of a black operation are that it i ...
deniable mission to forcibly retrieve a priceless Van Gogh
Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who posthumously became one of the most famous and influential figures in Western art history. In a decade, he created about 2,100 artworks, inclu ...
painting looted from a palace in post war Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
.
*''Cobra Gold'' (Century 2007) The fictional story of SAS veteran Luke Kilbride's search for 50 million dollars worth of gold bullion
A gold bar, also called gold bullion or gold ingot, is a quantity of refined metallic gold of any shape that is made by a bar producer meeting standard conditions of manufacture, labeling, and record keeping. Larger gold bars that are produced ...
he and his team stole in a Beirut
Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...
bank heist twenty years before.
References
External links
Damien Lewis websiteDamien Lewis at ''Military Speakers''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Damien
Living people
Place of birth missing (living people)
British filmmakers
1966 births