''Stealing a Nation'' is a 2004
Granada Television documentary about the British–American clandestine operation that saw the
expulsion of the
Chagossian population who have lived on
Diego Garcia and neighbouring islands since the late 18th century. More than 2,000 people were exiled to
Mauritius
Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label=Mauritian Creole, Moris ), officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about off the southeast coast of the African continent, east of Madagascar. It incl ...
between 1967 and 1973, so that Diego Garcia could become a
United States military airbase ''(see
depopulation of Chagossians from the Chagos Archipelago)''. The film contains a series of interviews with Chagossians, who have been deprived of their
right of return
The right of return is a principle in international law which guarantees everyone's right of voluntary return to, or re-entry to, their country of origin or of citizenship. The right of return is part of the broader human rights concept freedom of ...
and forced to live in abject poverty. ''Stealing a Nation'' was written and directed by Australian journalist
John Pilger, and produced and directed by Christopher Martin; reconstruction footage was directed by Sean Crotty.
Reception, awards and festival screenings
''Stealing a Nation'' was awarded the 2004
Royal Television Society
The Royal Television Society (RTS) is a British-based educational charity for the discussion, and analysis of television in all its forms, past, present, and future. It is the oldest television society in the world. It currently has fourteen r ...
Award in the category "Single Documentary - General".
The film was screened at the ''United Nations Association Film Festival'' in October 2005.
It was given the Chris Award in the Social Issues category at the ''
Columbus International Film & Video Festival'' in November 2005.
The 53rd Annual Chris Awards Columbus International Film & Video Festival 2005
, columbusfilmcouncil.org. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
References
External links
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Stealing a Nation
' at Top Documentary Films
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Stealing A Nation
2004 television films
2004 films
2003 television specials
British television documentaries
Chagos Archipelago
Chagos Archipelago sovereignty dispute
Documentary films about indigenous rights
Documentary films presented by John Pilger
2000s English-language films
2000s British films