Channel 4 Interview: Paddy Wivell

In twenty years of directing documentaries for Channel 4 and the BBC, Paddy Wivell has made a name for himself for the seemingly effortless and compassionate way he connects with his subjects, from African tribes to Orthodox Jews and psychiatric inpatients in Bafta award-winning Bedlam. Described by The Times as “a filmmaker of such exceptional talent, so gifted and unassuming, that you scarcely notice how accomplished he is”, Paddy creates a warmth and intimacy with all his contributors, a skill on display in his double BAFTA nominated three-parter for Channel 4, Prison. Paddy embeds himself on the wings and landings of HMP Durham to capture up close the lives of inmates doing battle with a skeleton staff struggling to cope a with constantly revolving population of over 1000 men. Paddy talks to Simon Dickson, Creative Director and Co-founder at Label 1, about the films that have shaped his career and his uniquely personal style.

Supported by Channel 4