Ruhi Hamid

Winner of the Rory Peck Award for Features, 2005

British

Shot in Indonesia, March- May 2005
BBC 2 Current Affairs

“At the Epicentre”
Lampuuk was close to the December earthquake epicentre. The village was flattened. Just one building - the Mosque - was left standing.  Out of 7,000 people only 1,000 survived. The film focuses on these survivors as they attempt to rebuild their lives and community. Ruhi Hamid, working alone, spent several weeks living with them. There were constant earthquakes, no infrastructure; food and living conditions were basic.

“She renders herself invisible and lets the stories unfold on their own. She took huge risks...[and] connected political issues to the characters without turning the film into a polemic."
Judge's Comment

Biography
Born in Tanzania of Pakistani origin, Ruhi Hamid has been making programmes since 1994. By listening and allowing contributors to trust her, Ruhi has gained access to peoples and cultures otherwise hostile to the media. She specializes in working alone filming on DV camera. A Muslim, Ruhi has filmed across the Islamic world. In 2004, she was a finalist for The Sony International Impact Award for her film on the plight of the Hmong people.