Bisan Owda scores an Emmy

Palestinian journalist makes strides with war documentary

An Emmy was awarded to Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda for her AJ+ documentary It's Bisan from Gaza and I'm Still Alive, Al Jazeera reported. The feature tracks Bisan's survival against war and under the recurring threat of bombardment from Israeli forces. Due to the 27-year-old journalist being in Palestine, the award was received by Supervising Executive Producer of AJ+, Jon Laurence.

"We'd like to thank the Academy for this recognition. This award is testimony to the power of one woman, armed only with an iPhone, who survived almost a year of bombardment," Jon spoke.

"Over a hundred Palestinian journalists have been killed in Gaza, including several of our Al Jazeera colleagues," he continued, as the camera panned to his associate holding placards displaying names and photographs of deceased journalists. The poster further read, "Journalism is not a crime."

"Our bureau in the occupied West Bank was shut down at gunpoint just last week," Jon mentioned. "We thank you, our journalistic community, for this recognition for Bisan and for the AJ+ team. And we urge you to join us in saying that journalism is not a crime. Thank you so much."

It's Bisan from Gaza and I'm Still Alive persevered despite backlash and a campaign calling for the nomination to be rescinded over the claim that Bisan was affiliated with the US-deemed terrorist group Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). The appeal was overturned by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) on grounds of the nomination's consistency with competition policies.

The 8-minute documentary is set in the vicinity of the Al-Shifa hospital, which is flanked with tents of displaced Gazans. In it, Bisan documents the regular routine of those who have been forced to evacuate from the safety of their homes, including their struggles with basic necessities like food and water.

"I know that I seem to be energetic and smiling, but it's not the truth," confessed the 27-year-old in the documentary. "We're just trying to be positive because we felt death hundreds of times, so we appreciate that we are alive until now."