Produced by: Thomas Paga et Mathieu Beaudouin
Duration: 52 min 

“Lifting the veil on Saudi cinema” produced by Thomas Paga and Mathieu Beaudouin and aired on France 24’s “Reporters +” program on March 2023 has been awarded at the AIB Awards 2023 in the TV/Video category in the the “Domestic Affairs" section. The winners were announced on Friday November 10 at the Church House Westminster.

With “Lifting the veil on Saudi cinema” Thomas Paga and Mathieu Beaudouin investigate on the cinema industry in Saudia Arabia. In April 2018 the country allowed cinemas to open in the kingdom, ending 35 years of prohibition. Women are now allowed to have access to theatres and female directors can show their movies. A cultural move, but also a economical one, the Saudi kingdom is investing massively in the cultural sector, in order to become the "Hollywood of the Middle East". Thomas Paga and Mathieu Beaudouin focused on this growing market, also a propaganda weapon for Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. Despite social reforms and the development of a tourist and cultural industry in the country, the regime is very much criticized for its repression of free speech, especially targeting journalists and human rights activists.

Graduated from the London School of Economics and the Sciences Po School of Journalism, Thomas Paga began his career as head of publications at the Terra Nova think tank. In 2010, he joined LCP alongside Serge Moati, then moved to France 2's national newsroom before becoming France Television's correspondent for the west of France. Author of numerous reports, Thomas Paga has also produced several 30-minute documentaries in Portugal and the UK for the 1pm news. "Lifting the veil on Saudi cinema" is his first long-form magazine.

Mathieu Beaudouin has been a reporter for 10 years. Starting out as a freelance journalist for the magazines "Sept a Huit" and "TF1 reportages", he joined France Televisions' Africa desk in Dakar, Senegal, in 2018 before returning to France to become a correspondent in the west of the country. Mathieu Beaudouin has worked for the magazines "Envoyé Spécial" and "Complément d'enquête" in addition to numerous reports for local and national editions of France Televisions.

"Lifting the veil on Saudi cinema” is their first long format produced for France 24.

About the AIB Awards: Created in 1993 by the Association for International Broadcasting, these Awards aim to honor the best production in television, radio, audio and digital journalism. Each year, the awards recognize a variety of subjects in different categories.

“Lifting the veil on Saudi cinema” a « Reporters » to be found on social media, France 24’s YouTube channel and france24.com