Christopher Templeton

Christopher Frederick Templeton (born 13 December 1960) is a Scottish/Hungarian scriptwriter and director whose radio plays and television documentaries highlighted human rights abuses in the United States and Europe during the post Cold War era of the 1990s.[1]

Career

Templeton was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of the Glasgow playwright and screenwriter, William Templeton. He graduated from the London International Film School in 1985 but his first writing and directing work was for radio. Templeton secured several commissions from the BBC World Service, broadcasting new and politically charged plays on the 'Play for the Week' flagship series. His first production, Mirad, A Boy from Bosnia,[2] secured wide critical acclaim. Sue Gaisford,[3] drama critic of the Observer, describing the production as "...almost unbearably moving".[4] Whilst Mirad amplified the human cost of the Bosnian genocide, later productions, like Rupa Lucian, Child of Romania [5] exposed the atrocities of the ‘Securitatae’, Romania’s secret police. Templeton continued at the World Service to write and present the first non-religious content for the Pause for Thought series with other leading secularists including Nicolas Walter and Dr.Richard Dawkins.[6]

Death Row Campaign

1n 1996, Templeton coordinated the UK campaign of death row artist, Manuel Salazar.[7] The campaign secured an 11th hour reprieve[8] from execution with Templeton’s campaign documentary ‘Trial and Error’ (broadcast on NBC), provoking an Early Day Motion,[9] signed by 47 MPs[10] in the House of Parliament [11] as well as the attention of Amnesty International,[12] legal figures including Alun Jones QC,[13] academics such as Prof. Rodolfo Acuña,[14] as well as Pope John Paul II.[15]

References

  1. ↑ Internet Movie Database: Reference to Rupa Lucian Child of Romania
  2. ↑ PRX Listings: Reference to 'Mirad a Boy from Bosnia'
  3. ↑ The Independent Sue Gaisford: critique of 'Mirad a Boy from Bosnia'
  4. ↑ Biography: Drama critic, Sue Gaisford
  5. ↑ PRX Listings: 'Rupa Lucian Child of Romania'
  6. ↑ BBC Radio 4: Reference to first secular productions on BBC Radio
  7. ↑ Chicago Sun Times Article: 'Salazar gets help from Abroad'.
  8. ↑ Chicago Tribune Article: 'Battle lines set for second trial in Cop's Death'.
  9. ↑ Early Day Motion 974 Manuel Salazar UK Parliament
  10. ↑ Parliamentary Database: Early Day Motion List of Signatory MPs
  11. ↑ Chicago Tribune September 19, 1995 'Cop Killer Defendant Contests '85 Extradition'
  12. ↑ Group 133 Amnesty International Somerville/Arlington Appeal
  13. ↑ Alun Jones QC Professional Biography
  14. ↑ Prof. Rodolfo Acuña 'How Else do we Teach them a Lesson?'
  15. ↑ Catholic Herald 'Ten Years on Death Row'
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