Tales from the Organ Trade

Tales From the Organ Trade
Directed byRic Esther Bienstock
Written byRic Esther Bienstock
Produced byRic Esther Bienstock
Felix Golubev
Simcha Jacobovici
Narrated byDavid Cronenberg
CinematographyFrank Vilaca
Michael Ellis
Kenneth Ng
Edited bySteve Weslak
Music byJohn Welsman
Production
company
Associated Producers Ltd.
Release date
  • April 14, 2013 (2013-04-14) (Documentary Edge)
Running time
82 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish

Tales From the Organ Trade is a 2013 Canadian documentary film written and directed by Emmy Award-winning[1] filmmaker Ric Esther Bienstock. It was produced by Ric Esther Bienstock, Felix Golubev and Simcha Jacobovici. The film was created in association with HBO Documentary Films, Shaw Media and Canal D.[2] The film examines the shadowy world of black market organ trafficking. The film is narrated by David Cronenberg.[3]

Reaction

The film has been positively received by critics. Maclean's calls the film "a serious, superb and essential documentary that cuts through the sensationalism and hysteria surrounding its subject. It’s one of the most impressive, and incisive, works of investigative journalism I’ve seen onscreen in a long time. It’s also a virtuosic feat of story-telling."[4] and continues to say that Ric Esther Bienstock's film "is a nuanced, analytical portrait of the fierce ethical dilemmas on both sides of the issue, which Bienstock distills into cautious advocacy for a sensible solution."[5]

Awards

Award Institution Year Category Recipients and nominees Result
Canadian Screen Award[6] Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television 2015 Donald Brittain Award Ric Esther Bienstock, Felix Golubev, Simcha Jacobovici Won
Best Original Music for a Non-Fiction Program or Series John Welsman Won
Best Writing in a Documentary Program or Factual Series Ric Esther Bienstock Won
Best Editorial Research Ric Esther Bienstock, Sheila Mandell, Anastasia Trofimova Won
Emmy Award[7] Emmy Award 2014 Outstanding Investigative Journalism—Long-Form - Nominated
Emmy Award[8] Emmy Award 2014 Outstanding Writing Ric Esther Bienstock Nominated
British Documentary Award[9] The Grierson Trust 2014 Best Documentary on Current Affairs - Nominated
Edward R. Murrow Award[10] Overseas Press Club of America 2014 Best TV Interpretation or Documentary on International Affairs - Won
Jack R. Howard Award[11] Scripps Howard Foundation 2014 Television/Cable In-Depth National and International Coverage - Won
Norman Bethune Award for Excellence in International Health Reporting - Print, Broadcast Award[12] Canadian Medical Association Media Awards for Health Reporting 2014 - - Won
Global Awareness Award[13] WorldMediaFestival 2014 - - Won
Intermedia-globe Gold Award[14] WorldMediaFestival 2014 Documentary - Won
Golden Eagle[15] CINE 2014 Televised News Division – Investigative Reporting - Won
Golden Sheaf[16] Yorkton Film Festival 2014 Documentary Social/Political - Won
Silver Hugo[17] Chicago International Film Festival Television Awards 2014 Documentary: Social/Political - Won
Silver Screen[18] US International Film & Video Festival 2014 Documentary Programs: Social Issues - Won

Festival Awards

Festival Award Year Category Recipients and nominees Result
Documentary Edge Festival[19] - 2013 Best Sign of the Times - Won
DocUtah Southern Utah Documentary Film Festival[20] Raven Award 2013 Best Film - Won
DocUtah Southern Utah Documentary Film Festival[21] Raven Award 2013 Best Director Ric Esther Bienstock Won
Tenerife International Film Festival[22] - 2013 Best Feature Documentary - Won
Nevada International Film Festival[23] - 2013 Special Jury Prize - Won
12th San Sebastián Human Rights Film Festival - Donostia San Sebastián[24] Amnesty International Award 2014 - - Won
Mexico International Film Festival[25] Golden Palm Award 2014 - - Won

References

  1. ^ "28th Annual News & Documentary Emmy Award Winners" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 November 2010. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
  2. ^ "Tales from the Organ Trade - Credits". Tales from the Organ Trade Official Website. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
  3. ^ Vlessing, Etan. "David Cronenberg to voice Tales From the Organ Trade doc". playbackonline.ca. Playback Online. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  4. ^ Johnson, Brian. "What's hot at Hot Docs". Macleans's. Rogers Communications. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  5. ^ Johnson, Brian. "What's hot at Hot Docs". Macleans's. Rogers Communications. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  6. ^ Katie Bailey, "Canadian Screen Awards ’15: Far-flung docs win night one". Playback, February 24, 2015.
  7. ^ "Nominees for the 35th Annual News & Documentary Emmy® Awards announced by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences". The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
  8. ^ "Nominees for the 35th Annual News & Documentary Emmy® Awards announced by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences". The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
  9. ^ "The Grierson Trust :: Nominations". The Grierson Trust. Archived from the original on 7 November 2013. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  10. ^ "9 The Edward R. Murrow Award - Overseas Press Club of America". Overseas Press Club of America. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
  11. ^ "Scripps Howard Awards - Press Release" (PDF). Scripps Howard Foundation. Retrieved 22 April 2014.
  12. ^ "CMA Announces Recipients of 2014 Media Awards for Health Reporting" (PDF). Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  13. ^ "Hall of Fame - Winners 2014 - WorldMediaFestival 2014". internmedia. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
  14. ^ "Hall of Fame - Winners 2014 - WorldMediaFestival 2014". internmedia. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
  15. ^ "2014 Golden Eagle Award Recipients - CINE". CINE. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
  16. ^ "Winners --> Golden Sheaf Awards". Yorkton Film Festival Inc. Archived from the original on 12 October 2014. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
  17. ^ "Cinema/Chicago". Retrieved 22 April 2014.
  18. ^ "US International Film & Video Festival". U.S. International Film & Video Festival. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
  19. ^ "Documentary Edge Awards". Archived from the original on 24 May 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  20. ^ "2013 Winners - DocUtah". Southern Utah International Documentary Film Festival. Retrieved 22 April 2014.
  21. ^ "2013 Winners - DocUtah". Southern Utah International Documentary Film Festival. Retrieved 22 April 2014.
  22. ^ "Tenerife International Film Festival - Tenerife IFF 2013 Winners List & Laurels". Tenerife International Film Festival. Archived from the original on 11 April 2014. Retrieved 22 April 2014.
  23. ^ "Nevada International Film Festival - 2013 Winners". Nevada International Film Festival. Retrieved 22 April 2014.
  24. ^ "12th Human Rights Film Festival - Awards". Donostia Kultura. Retrieved 22 April 2014.
  25. ^ "Mexico International Film Festival - Mexico Film Festivals - 2014 Winners". Mexico International Film Festival. Retrieved 13 May 2014.