I'm Vanessa Bowles, a Lebanese/British Producer Director (shooting), based in London since I moved from Beirut in 2011. I've recently come off directing my first film, 'Queer Egypt Under Attack' (2023), a BBC World investigation that reveals how the police and violent criminals in Egypt are targeting and arresting people from the LGBTQ+ community i...
Read MoreI'm Vanessa Bowles, a Lebanese/British Producer Director (shooting), based in London since I moved from Beirut in 2011. I've recently come off directing my first film, 'Queer Egypt Under Attack' (2023), a BBC World investigation that reveals how the police and violent criminals in Egypt are targeting and arresting people from the LGBTQ+ community in Egypt. This is after having produced multiple award-winning documentaries and current affairs films and series, like 'Once Upon a Time in Iraq' (2020) which won a BAFTA, a Grierson, and a Royal Television Society, among others, and 'Saudi Arabia Uncovered' (2016) which won an Emmy award, the Royal Television Society TV journalism award & Jury Grand Prize at the Golden Nymphs. I also recently researched and co-hosted a 7-part Audible podcast series ‘Man in a Bag’ (2022) about the strange death of MI6 spy Gareth Williams.
On the side, I help run and programme the biyearly independent documentary film-festival 'Otherfield'. I’m driven, organised and would say my strengths lie in story and contributor finding, as well as forging trusting relationships and negotiating delicate access. I have plenty of experience working in high-risk environments such as Iraq, Syria, and Egypt, as well as working in constrained circumstances that require undercover and secret filming.
I’ve completed Hostile Environment training, as well as DART training courses on trauma awareness. Arabic and English are my mother tongues, and I have intermediate language skills in French, and am a beginner in Spanish.
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