ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE MIDDLE EAST ANNOUNCED BY BBC

BBC Factual announces the commission of Once Upon a Time in the Middle East (w/t), from the team behind the multi award-winning Once Upon a Time in Northern Ireland, Once Upon a Time in Iraq and the upcoming Once Upon a Time in Space, for BBC Two and iPlayer.

Image: Once Upon A Time In Iraq

The political and military consequences of the deadly Hamas-led attacks on 7 October 2023 are still unfolding - both in Gaza, where more than fifty thousand are now said to have been killed, and across the Middle East, confirming its place as the most fought over land on the planet.

While the world waits to see how the new map of the region might unfold, Once Upon the Time in the Middle East brings us the personal stories of people caught up in a never-ending conflict across a sweep of history.

This series will take a long-term view, looking at how the situation in the Middle East has evolved, the roots of the conflict that has affected both Israelis and Palestinians and its ripple effect across the region, focussing on the personal cost of a war that has raged on and off for decades.

By interviewing ordinary men and women from all sides of the conflict, who have multiple points of view on the history of the Middle East, and showing rare and unseen archive footage alongside UGC, the series will tell the human stories of those who have lived through this complex history.

James Bluemel says: “Our Once Upon a Time documentary strand gives regular people the space to share their experience of historical events without judgement and seeks empathy and understanding from all sides. We have told the stories of people who experienced the war in Iraq, lived through the conflict in Northern Ireland and even those who have been pioneers in outer space. Once Upon a Time in the Middle East is our most ambitious project yet.”

Once Upon a Time in the Middle East (w/t), a 5x60’ for BBC Two and iPlayer, is made by Keo Films.