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James Bluemel is a television documentaryfilmmaker.
He directed was the three-part documentaryThe Romanians are Coming, screened onChannel 4 between 17 February[1] and 3 March 2015.[2] Bluemel visitedBaia Mare, a town in northRomania and was shocked to see the living conditions of theRoma community there. The documentary focuses on Sandhu, a member of this community, who decides to come to theUnited Kingdom. The documentary also follows Mihaila a middle-aged nurse, who comes from more comfortable circumstances inConstantia on theBlack Sea coast. Other people featured are Stefan, who works as ahuman statue whilst raising money for his daughter's operation and Adi, who sleeps rough so he can send more money back to his wife in Romania.[3]
In 2016 his three-part documentaryExodus: Our Journey to Europe was aired. For directing this Bluemel won the2017 British Academy Television Craft Award for best factual programme. At the award ceremony Bluemel broke with convention to allowHassan Akkad - one of the refugees featured in the programme - to participate in the acceptance speech.[4]
In July 2020, theBBC in the UK andPBS Frontline in America released the documentaryOnce Upon a Time in Iraq, directed by Bluemel, recounting the lead up to theIraq War and its consequences for the Iraqi population. While the documentary was criticized by some for incomplete representation of the Iraqi experience throughout the initial conflict and its aftermath,[5] the series was widely acclaimed in the British press,[6][7] and won the award for best documentary at theRose D'Or international awards festival in December 2020[8]
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