| Witness | |
|---|---|
_logo.png){kind=logo} Title card | |
| Presented by | Former:Ghida Fakhry(2010–2011) Former: Rageh Omaar(2006–10) |
| Original release | |
| Network | Al Jazeera English |
| Release | November 2006 (2006-11) – present |
Witness is the flagshipdocumentarytelevision program that airs onAl Jazeera English. The program showcases documentaries commissioned or acquired from independent filmmakers around the world. The films focus on stories that receive less international coverage and "people at the margins of society."[1]
Witness was one of the first programmes on Al Jazeera English and has been airing since the channel's inception in November 2006. The primary broadcast windows are Sundays for their half-hour programmes and Wednesdays for their hour-long programmes, with repeats appearing throughout the week.[2] It is also availableonline.
The show has won multiple documentary awards, including thePeabody and the International Emmy, and been nominated for many others, including anAcademy Award,One World,Rory Peck Trust, and Gierson. The programme team has also served as the creative staff behind other Al Jazeera English series, includingViewfinder Latin America (2012-2015) andViewfinder Asia (2012-2014), Artscape (2009–2014), Wildlife Warzone (2013), and Rebel Architecture (2014).
Witness premiered in November 2006 when Al Jazeera English launched globally. It was initially presented byRageh Omaar,[3][4] Fakhry took over briefly as presenter in 2010 for one year.[5]
It is one of the few programmes that makes documentaries available worldwide on all media platforms. The topics covered by the series includes stories of inspiration, empowerment, creativity and a deeper plunge into communities that are otherwise excluded from the global conversation. This includes stories on conflict, the environment, women's rights, the arts, economic equity and social justice. The core of each story is a reflection of how global events affect local communities and the people who live there.
Witness' coverage of theRed Mosque inIslamabad shortly before agovernment siege garnered anInternational Emmy Award nomination in 2008.[6]
The film, contained the final interview withAbdul Rashid Ghazi before his assassination.[7]
In 2016Witness was part of the team nominated at the Academy Awards for Best Documentary Short for the film,Chau, Beyond The Lines.[citation needed] In 2015, "Witness" won anInternational Emmy for the film,Miners Shot Down. This story is about miners in South Africa who rise up to seek a better living and working conditions.[citation needed] In 2013Witness was awarded thePeabody Award for the film,Sheikh Jarrah, My Neighbourhood. This documentary tells the story of Palestinians in East Jerusalem who face eviction and find unexpected allies to the cause.
A special on two schools in theWest Bank under Israeli occupation,Return to Nablus, received an International Emmy nomination in 2009.[8]
16 other documentaries featured onWitness have won awards at various international film festivals.[9]