EnglishDirector, author, journalist
Erling Borgen, Oslo – Norway
Married to Agnete G. Haaland, Actor
Children: Julianne Borgen, 16 and Jakob Borgen, 14
Education:
High School, 1967
Sociology and Political Science, University of Oslo, 1970 – 74
Working career:
The weekly newspaper, Orientering, journalist 1969 – 1973
Forbrukerrapporten, (consumer magazine) journalist, 1975 – 1977
Arbeiderbladet, liberal daily, 1977 – 1977
Norwegian Broadcasting Corp. (NRK), journalist and correspondent, 1979 – 1999
Journalist, founder and editor of the TV-foundation INSIGHT and Borgen Production AS,
from 1999 until now: Independent documentary film-making and documentaries.
Professor at Lillehammer Television and documentary school.
Also documentaries made in cooperation with The Norwegian Church Aid (NCA), the Ministry of Foreing Affairs and The Ibsen Museum.
He has been funded by:
The Ministry of foreign Affairs
The Norwegian Film Institute
The Freedom of Expression Fund (Fritt Ord)
Career highlights:
Erling Borgen has produced more than 6000 news items for Norwegian Broadcasting Corp. (NRK)
He was correspondent for NRK in Latin-America from l988 – l992 (based in Santiago).
He was correspondent for NRK in Asia (based in Beijing) from l996 – l999.
He has produced, written and directed more than 80 TV-documentaries about human rights, international issues and art and culture.
His documentaries have been aired in several countries.
Journalism awards:
”Narvesen-prisen” (The Norwegian Pulitzer Price for brilliant journalism), l982
The Norwegian Peoples Aid Organization – ”Price of humanity”, for TV-documentaries made in Latin-America, l992.
Silver Medal, ”The SKUP-award” for investigative journalism, l995.
The freelancer of the year 2005
The Prison Award (human rights price in Norway)2006
The Zola-price, 2008
Price as best investigative reporter, 2009
The al jazeera price (2009)
The FAO-price (2009)
Books:
Seven books, among these:
”Rekstens adventure” (about the biggest shipping fraud in Norway ever), l992
”Only a dream – a journey through Latin-America”, l992
”Red dream – my encounter with China”, l998.
“The secrets of a peace nation” (2009)
Plays:
”ll nights” (a play about human rights), l992
”Die Flagstad”, l995 – bought and produced by Agder Theatre, Norway, l995
Some of the documentaries he made as an employee of NRK from 1988 – 1996:
”The world of Pinochet”
”How they killed an entire race” (about the massacres of the indians in Guatemala)
”The slaves of the sugar industry” (About the haitian sugar workers)
”El Salvadors civil war”
”The hunting for Eldorado” (About gold-mining in Amazonas)
”Mexicos dream”
”The tragedy of Argentina”
”Tha nazi-colony in Chile”.
”Thor Heyerdahl in Peru”.
”The world of Neruda”
”The hope for peace”. (Cambodia)
”The Norwegian Royal family in China”.
”The Chinese hospital” (sold to 12 countries)
Among the documentaries made by Erling Borgen, with INSIGHT TV and Borgen Production AS
Erling Borgen has written, directed and been executive producer of all these independent documentaries:
”The Immortal Ibsen”. (winner of the Lisbon filmfestival) 2000.
”The Hell of Apartheid” (2001)
”The circus-children in Brazil””. (2001)
”The water in Ethiopia”.2002
”The bloody garment-production in Burma”.(2002)
”Bananas in Costa Rica” (2002)
”The price of life” (about AIDS) (2002)
”The sugarslaves” (2003)
”The Maya-indians”(2003)
”The quest for Madonna” (2004)
”Who shall own the water” (2004)
“Coca Cola in India” (2004)
“The real fashion slaves” (2004)
”The debt of the dictators”.(2005)
“The ambassador” ((2005) Winner of the Paris Film Festival
“Human trafficking” (2005)
“A little peace of Norway” (2006)
“Ibsens bathtub” (2006)
“The square of poverty” (2007)
“In the shadow of Statoil”(2007)
“Surrounded by enemies” (2008)
“A tower of promises” ( co producing) Executive producer and director, the Danish prizewinning director Tom Heinemann)
“The bitter taste of tea” (in cooperation with Tom Heinemann) (2009) Sold to 14 countries