By Lejla Biogradlija and Kemal Zorlak
SARAJEVO (AA) - TRT World’s documentary Holy Redemption was awarded the Best Documentary and Program Award at the 7th International Al Jazeera Balkans Documentary Film Festival (AJB DOC) held in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The documentary, directed and produced by Jose Carlos Soares, Tanju Sahin, and Aslihan Eker Cakmak, was filmed by the TRT World Research team after a difficult process of infiltrating radical Israeli groups in the West Bank two months after the start of the Gaza war in October last year.
Holy Redemption sheds light on Israel’s 75-year-long occupation policies and the oppression faced by Palestinians.
During the award ceremony, which took place on the final night of the festival — of which Anadolu was a global communications partner — TRT Deputy Director General Omer Faruk Tanriverdi dedicated the award to the Palestinian people.
"We wanted to emphasize, through the screening of our documentary in Sarajevo, where the wounds of Srebrenica are still fresh, that another genocide is unfolding before the world’s eyes," Tanriverdi said.
He explained that in just 53 minutes, the documentary vividly showcases the radical Israeli occupiers' atrocities in Palestine. He also noted that TRT World previously received the International Emmy Award for News and Current Affairs in 2023 for its documentary, Ukraine War Diaries.
"For us, this award is even more meaningful than the Emmy because our goal was to raise global awareness of the genocide in Palestine through our documentary work," Tanriverdi added.
Producer Aslihan Eker Cakmak emphasized that the award reflected the power of the documentary's message, expressing hope that it would become the voice of Palestine.
Director Tanju Sahin highlighted that the world, just as it ignored the genocide in Srebrenica 30 years ago, is now turning a blind eye to what is happening in Gaza.
He dedicated the award to all Palestinian children and those who lost their lives in the West Bank, particularly Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a Turkish American activist who was killed by the Israeli army.
The TRT team announced that Holy Redemption, which documents the step-by-step occupation of Palestinian lands, will continue to be screened on international platforms.
The documentary will premiere on TRT’s international channels and digital platforms on Sept. 18.