BBC Removes “Free Palestine” From BAFTA Winner’s Speech
BAFTA Award Winners’ Acceptance Speech Edited in Broadcast
Filmmakers Wale Davies and Akinola Davies Jr. received the BAFTA Film Award for Outstanding British Debut on Sunday. However, a portion of their acceptance speech was cut from the BBC broadcast.
In his closing remarks, Davies Jr. dedicated the award to “all those whose parents migrated to obtain a better life for their children.” He emphasized the plight of various displaced individuals, stating, “To the economic migrant. The conflict migrant. Those under occupation, dictatorship, persecution, and those experiencing genocide. You matter. Your stories matter more than ever. Your dreams are an act of resistance to those watching at home.”
Davies Jr. also urged, “Archive your loved ones. Archive your stories yesterday, today, and forever. For Nigeria, for London, the Congo, Sudan, free Palestine.”
This poignant segment of the speech did not make it onto the BBC broadcast, which instead included Davies Jr. thanking his family and his brother, Wale, for “nurturing this spark.”
A spokesperson for the BBC explained, “The live event is three hours and it has to be reduced to two hours for its on-air slot. The same happened to other speeches made during the night, and all edits were made to ensure the programme was delivered to time. All winners’ speeches will be available to watch via Bafta’s YouTube channel.”
