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Deceptive Diplomacy

AWARDS
International Emmy 2019 - Current Affairs
Prix Europa - Best European TV Investigation
IRE 2019 - Best broadcast
Whistleblower Summit & Film Festival 2019 - Impact Award -
Frontline Club Award Nominee 2019

DECEPTIVE DIPLOMACY is an award-winning and internationally acclaimed investigating documentary from 2018 that exposed the cover-up within the UN to hide crucial evidence about the murder of the UN experts Zaida Catalán and Michael Sharp in the Democratic Republic of Congo. But it is also a gripping story about two people that wanted to change the world in one of the most dangerous places on earth.

The story became global news shaking the entire United Nations to its core. After the investigation a high ranking officer of the Congolese military has been charged for conspiracy to murder.

In 2019 "Deceptive Diplomacy" won the Investigative Editors and Reporters (IRE) award in the US, one of the finest prices for investigative journalism in the world. The jury stated the following:
"An international team of investigative reporters revealed how top UN officials covered up crucial information about the murder of the UN experts Zaida Catalán and Michael Sharp in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This investigation demonstrated a dedication to shoe-leather reporting on a project with a high degree of difficulty undertaken at great personal risk. The team took a huge institution, the UN, to task for looking the other way when murders were covered up. Great storytelling, undercover sources, secret documents, compelling personal profiles of the victims and stellar photography. In a time when journalists and peacekeepers are under attack around the world, this piece did so much to illustrate the reality of those risky careers and the lengths some officials will go to hide the truth."

  • Axel Gordh Humlesjö
    Producer
  • Ali Fegan
    Producer
  • Süddeutsche Zeitung
    IN COLLABORATION WITH
  • Foreign Policy Magazine
    IN COLLABORATION WITH
  • Swedish Television (SVT)
    IN COLLABORATION WITH
  • Radio France international (RFI)
    IN COLLABORATION WITH
  • Le Monde
    IN COLLABORATION WITH
  • Ola Christoffersson
    Director of Photography
  • Graham Walsh
    Photography
  • Ola Christoffersson
    Editing
  • Sonia Rolley
    Research
  • Frederik Obermaier
    Research
  • Hannes Munzinger
    Research
  • Tobias Zick
    Research
  • Colum Lynch
    Research
  • Marcos Hellberg
    Story advisor
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    60 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    November 27, 2018
  • Production Budget:
    200,000 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    Sweden
  • Country of Filming:
    Congo, the Democratic Republic of the, Sweden, United States
  • Language:
    English, French, Swahili, Swedish
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Distribution Information
  • Swedish television
    Country: Sweden
    Rights: All Rights, Free TV
Director Biography

Axel Gordh Humlesjö is an award winning producer, TV host and investigative journalist at the Swedish public broadcaster - SVT.
He specializes in organized crime and digital research.
His latest documentaries have exposed the ISIS network that was behind the Paris attacks 2015 and in 2019 his documentary about money laundering through Swedish banks became world news.
Twitter: @axelhumlesjo

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

The story of Zaida Catalan and Michael Sharp is such a unbelievable tragedy. Not only did they sacrifice their lives for the UN. Then that very same organization did everything to not expose the real perpetrators behind the murder due to diplomatic concerns.
If we can't trust the UN to reveal the truth, who can we trust?