Hollman Morris
Morris has spent more than 15 years covering Colombia’s internal armed conflict, with a particular focus on human rights issues. He has done this in a variety of settings: through local and national radio, newspapers, and mainly in television as a documentary filmmaker.
Since 2002, Morris has been directing the television series Contravía (Countercurrent). Through dozens of 28 minute chapters, Morris has filmed some of the most important human rights cases in Colombia. His job has been considered by the academy and the experts as one of the most important video documentations of the recent history of Colombia. The European Union, The Open Society Institute, the Canadian Government, The UK Government and the Nederland Government have supported Contravia.
Morris directed the Toribío- The War in El Cauca, a news reportage that shows the fear and frustration that the peasants and indigenous habitants of a Colombian south-eastern community constantly feel. These feelings along with displacing situations caused by the guerrilla, paramilitaries, army and police conflict are reflected in Morris’ work. The narrative communicates to the spectator through images, testimonies, and a vivid portrait of this community’s reality. This work received the Iberoamerican New Journalist Award in 2007 and it has been shown in Spain and Paris.
Throughout his journalist carrier, Hollman has shown a full commitment to keeping the memory of the Colombian contemporary history alive because he is convinced that a country without memory doesn’t have a future. Also he has been one of the journalists that have shown the voice of the victims who are the ones that are between the conflicts. For his work he was awarded with one of the most important world awards, the Human Rights Watch Defender in 2007.
AWARDS
HUMAN RIGTHS DEFENDER, New York 2007. Due to his contribution to the human rights.
LASA MEDIA AWARD. Toronto 2007. For his contribution to Latin American Studies.
IBEROAMERICAN NEW JOURNALIST FOUNDATION. Monterrey 2007. The best work on TV.
CIRCULO DE PERIODISTAS DE BOGOTA. Bogotá 2007. The best work on TV.
INTERNATIONAL PRESS FREEDOM AWARD. Toronto 2006. For his contribution to the free expression.
RAFFAELE CIRIELLO CINEMATOGRAFIC AWARD. Italia 2005. For his work on TV.
HELMAN HAMNET. New York 2005. For his contribution to the human rights issues
CARTAGENA CINEMA FESTIVAL. Cartagena 2004. The best journalistic program on Colombian TV.
SIMON BOLIVAR NATIONAL AWARD. Bogotá 2004. The best chronic on TV.
NOMINATIONS
JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR. Reporters without borders 2007
JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR. Reporters without borders 2006
CARTAGENA CINEMA FESTIVAL. Cartagena 2005.
SIMON BOLIVAR NATIONAL AWARD. Bogotá 1.995.
