We Never Gave Up - stories of courage in Gambia
For 22 years, Gambians lived under the repressive rule of President Yahya Jammeh and change seemed like a distant dream. In this documentary we meet the unsung heroes who risked their lives to defend human rights – an Imam who was abducted and buried alive for trying to prevent a mass execution – the lawyers who risked jail to defend women who were tortured, sexually assaulted and imprisoned for protesting for political change – and a group of young activists that started a global hashtag movement to stop Jammeh from changing the December 2016 election result.
Many people lost their lives standing up to Jammeh’s regime. And those who continued to fight often despaired that their actions would never make a difference, but they never gave up. In January 2017, Jammeh, under threat of military intervention from West African regional forces, finally agreed to exile and the Gambia became a democracy. This story shows how human rights defenders facing abusive regimes across the world can take hope from these stories of courage.
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Jason FlorioDirector'A Blossom Pink World' / 'A Prince in Cape Town'
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Louise HuntDirector
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Louise HuntWriter
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Jason FlorioProducer'A Blossom Pink World' / 'A Prince in Cape Town'
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Louise HuntProducer
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Jason FlorioDirector of PhotographyA Blossom Pink World / Fishers of Men / A Prince in Cape Town
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Tom ThistlethwaiteEditorOceans Apart series, Rhythms of India, Goya Exposed
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Helen Jones-FlorioSecond CameraRiver Gambia Expedition,
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Project Type:Documentary
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Genres:Human rights, current affairs
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Runtime:30 minutes 2 seconds
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Completion Date:January 1, 2018
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Production Budget:16,000 GBP
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Country of Origin:United Kingdom
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Country of Filming:Gambia
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
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Pan African Film Festival (PAFF)Los Angeles
United States
February 7, 2019
North America -
Ibujan theatre screeningBanjul
Gambia
January 21, 2018
African premiere -
Amnesty International secretariatLondon
United Kingdom
February 22, 2018
UK Premiere -
Gallery 71ALondon
United Kingdom
August 13, 2018 -
University of The Gambia - School of JournalismBanjul
Gambia
May 3, 2019
Jason Florio is a multi-award-winning freelance photojournalist and filmmaker whose focus is on under-reported stories about people living on the margins of society and human rights. His work has been recognized with a number of awards, including the prestigious Magnum Photography Awards 2017, for his work on the migration crisis in the Mediterranean. He has worked extensively in Africa for the past 20 years and is a proud Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society
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Louise Hunt is an award-winning freelance multimedia journalist and filmmaker reporting on social justice and international development. After living in the Gambia, her work focuses on in-depth reporting on the country's migration crisis and the human rights abuses perpetrated under Yahya Jammeh's former regime. Now covering the Gambia's quest for truth and justice.