On October 4th, 2004, it was announced that the MFP/Galafilm documentary, “The Origins of AIDS”, had been shortlisted for an International Emmy in the “best documentary” category. This follows a series of other awards that the film has won at film festivals around the world.
While the Emmy nomination is clearly a tribute to the skills of the film-makers, rather than to the viability of the OPV/AIDS hypothesis per se, this honour comes at a particularly ironical time – in the midst of a new legal onslaught by doctors Koprowski and Plotkin, who are seeking to dissuade television companies and film festivals from showing the film. [See separate article: “The New Round of Legal Threats by Doctors Koprowski and Plotkin”.]
“The Origins of AIDS” nomination means that the film has been identified as one of the best four documentaries produced in 2004. I personally do not expect it to win, if only because such award ceremonies tend to shy away from the potentially controversial.
None the less, this is a huge accolade for the film, and I commend all those who have contributed to its success. [Galafilm press release follows.]
Ed Hooper. October 14th, 2004.
Further note added in December:
The International Emmy for best documentary was, in the end, awarded to an entry from Channel Four, “The Boy Whose Skin Fell Off”. But I am informed by the producers (who attended the glitzy award ceremony in New York) that the Plotkin/Koprowski crew made an approach to those organising the awards, urging them not to honour “The Origins of AIDS”.
This is sad, but hardly surprising, for doctors Plotkin, Koprowski, and those who assist them appear to have adopted a similar approach with all broadcasters and film festivals that propose to show “The Origins of AIDS”. For instance in recent months, Dr Plotkin and his acolytes (who include Robin Weiss, Simon Wain-Hobson, Beatrice Hahn, Bette Korber, Steve Wolinsky, John P. Moore and Robert Gallo) have each sent the same pro forma letter to the organisers of such events, falsely claiming that there is evidence to disprove the OPV theory. [See “Eminent scientists sign their names to falsehoods“]
These doctors know full well that their letters contain (indeed, are based upon) untruths and misrepresentations, but this apparently does not concern them. They seem to be no longer interested in the truth of this matter (if ever they were), but only in attempting to win the public relations battle by any means at their disposal. At least they have revealed themselves.
Ed Hooper. December 17th, 2004.
Attention Entertainment/News/Health Editors:
Galafilm Earns an International Emmy Award Nomination For The Origins of AIDS
MONTREAL, Oct. 4 /CNW Telbec/ – Galafilm Inc. is pleased to announce that The Origins of AIDS has been nominated for an International Emmy Award for best documentary program. The nominations were revealed today at a MIPCOM press conference held by the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. The winners will be announced on Monday, November 22, 2004 in New York City.
The critically acclaimed documentary also won Best Popular Science and Natural History Program at the 2004 Banff Rockie Awards, a Silver Hugo Award at the Chicago Television Festival, and Best Director at the 2004 Hot Docs.
More than 20 years after the AIDS epidemic started, we still do not know its origins. We know for sure that AIDS was born from contact between humans and chimpanzees infected by the Simian Immuno-deficiency Virus (SIV), a virus very similar to HIV (Human Immuno-deficiency Virus). But where, when and how did this devastating contact occur?
The scientific community is torn by dissension around this extraordinary controversy. As the scientific community’s ethical responsibilities are called into question, the debate over the origins of AIDS rages on.
The Origins of AIDS is directed by award-winning documentary filmmaker Peter Chappell and onetime biologist and veteran filmmaker Catherine Peix; produced by Christine Le Golf, Arnie Gelbart, Michel Crepon and Christine Pireaux. The documentary was produced by Galafilm Inc. and Multimedia France Productions (MFP) in association with Pathé Archives, Les Films Passerelle, RTBF (Télévision Belge) and Produce +. Hilary Armstrong is senior producer of WITNESS. Marie Natanson is executive producer of independent documentaries for CBC.
The Origins of AIDS is produced with the participation of Radio-Canada, the Canadian Television Fund created by the Government of Canada and the Canadian Cable Industry, the Equity Investment Program, SODEC, the Quebec Film and Television Tax Credit administered by SODEC, the Canadian Film and Video Production Tax Credit, France 2, Cosip and Procirep.
GALAFILM, founded by Arnie Gelbart in 1990, is an internationally renowned, independent film, television and new media production company based in Montreal. The successful organization has produced a diverse body of award-winning and commercially successful genres from documentary series and one-offs, youth programs, television dramas and feature films.
For further information: Puelo Deir, Galafilm Director of Communications, (514) 273-4252 ext. 230, pdeir@galafilm.com, www.galafilm.com