RTE documentary judged 'best in the world'

RTE 10/06/2003

An RTÉ True Lives documentary about an attempted coup in Venezuela has been judged the "best television programme in the world this year". 'Chavez - Inside the Coup', shown on RTE earlier this year, was awarded the prestigious Global Television Grand Prize at the Banff Rockie Awards in Canada. The documentary, depicted the attempted overthrow of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, defeated competition that included US series 'The West Wing'. The programme's directors, Kim Bartley and Donncha Ó Briain of independent production company Power Productions, were with President Chavez in Caracas last year when the attempted coup took place. Kevin Dawson, Commissioning Editor of Factual Programmes for RTÉ, said the award was "a wonderful achievement for the film" and called the programme "one of the most memorable documentary films of recent times". Power Productions' latest work in the True Lives series, a behind-the-scenes looks at the work of wedding planners, is being shown on RTÉ One tonight at 10pm.