Documentary – Hot Spot Films (Our History in Their Archives)
Hot Spot Films is a Cairo based documentary production with a lengthy history producing many documentaries for Al Jazeera’s Arabic channel and others, specialising in documentaries on Middle Eastern History and Politics. Real Film Productions joined Hot Spot Films on the series ‘Our History in Their Archives’. For several years RFP’s role was shooting all the UK supporting documentary material. The series recalls the most important events in recent Arab history through interviews and documents that have recently been released from Western and Communist archives.
Hot Spot Films is a successful production company with a long history of producing documentaries on a number of subjects. HSF’s work is cutting edge and honest, with no political bias the program aims to portray a truthful history of political decision making in the Middle East.
In this particular series ‘Our History in Their Archives‘ we try to reveal the other side of the story, that has not been discussed or has been marginalised by officials. Each episode recalls one event from various angles in an effort to portray a balanced argument from all sides whilst trying to reveal the greatest number of facts possible.
RFP was contracted by Hot Spot Films to produce all UK aspects of the Our History in their Archives documentary series, including researching and sourcing a huge amount of highly qualified British academics, American doctors and professors of Middle Eastern history and politics including Doctor Omar Ashour , Professor Rosemary Hollis and Professor Eugene Rogan.
RFP has since produced many documentaries for Hot Spot Films, we research and secure interviewees, travel with crew to university locations nationwide, conduct interviews, visit archival libraries sourcing verification material and in the early days produce transcriptions of interviews before forwarding video material direct to our Cairo based producer.
The task of sourcing such a wide range of highly qualified academics over a period of years was huge, and one we are most proud of since it required much lateral thinking, culminating in a highly comprehensive database of experts. Assignments took us from The University of Exeter in the south to The University of Edinburgh in the north, via, LSE in London, St Anthony’s College at The University of Oxford and The University of Durham. Finally, we have accumulated no less than 80 willing interviewees / experts.
From our lengthy positive collaborations, RFP enjoys a great relationship with Hot Spot Films and admires the variety and cutting edge nature of their documentaries.
For general information on our ‘Documentary + Fiction’ video work please click here
To view a sample of this documentary please visit Our History in their Archives
