5 Broken Cameras producer reunites with Upian for Jerusalem project

The interactive second screen work will accompany German Zero One Film’s upcoming 24 Hours Jerusalem programme, inspired by its 24 Hours Berlin, which aired in 2009 to mark the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

“We were here four years ago with Gaza/Sderot. We’re back and once again in Israel and Palestine, this time Jerusalem,” said Gordey presenting the project at the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam’s Forum co-financing event alongside Upian CEO Alexandre Brachet.

“More and more people are using several devices when watching television, to watch soccer or other sports for instance.  We want to extend this experience to the documentary field,” says Gordey. “The idea is to allow viewers to delve deeper into city and the stories in the 24-hour programme.”

For the TV programme – announced last year — 70 to 80 camera crews will capture Jerusalem over one day and night in April 2013. An original shoot date scheduled for last September was put back due to a flare-up in the Israeli-Palestine conflict.

A 24-hour broadcast combining footage will take place one year later in April 2104.

Fresh content

The online project, backed by pan-European broadcaster Arte and France’s National Cinema Centre, will focus on 24 of the characters from the programme, using the material shot in April 2013 as well as fresh content reflecting developments in the year between the shoot and the broadcast.

Gordey and Upian previously collaborated on web documentary Gaza/Sderot – Life in Spite of Everything, capturing the Israeli Palestine conflict from both sides through video blogs by the inhabitants of Gaza and the Israeli frontline town of Sderot in 2009.

Upian’s other web documentaries include David Dufresne and Philippe Brault’s award-winning Prison Valley. The company’s latest work Alma, a Tale of Violence is among three nominations for IDFA’s DocLab Award for Digital Storytelling alongside Bear 71 and CIA: Operation Ajax. All IDFA’s winners will be announced on Friday.

5 Broken Cameras

Gordey, who is a producer at documentary specialist Alegria Productions, was a co-producer on 5 Broken Cameras - joining the project at the post-production stage, with the backing of France Télévision, bringing the filmmakers Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi to Paris to edit the documentary about Palestinian non-violent resistance in the West Bank village of Bil’in.

After picking up multiple festival awards, including IDFA’s Special Jury Award Sundance World Cinema Directing Award, the film is tipped for an Oscar nomination.

Gordey is currently developing a feature-length documentary capturing Brazilian history through several generations of the same family to which director Pascale Vasselin is attached.