Benjamin "Ben" Zand is an Iranian-British journalist and filmmaker working primarily for the BBC from Liverpool, England. He makes documentaries for different channels in the UK and beyond as a documentary maker for BBC Studios and his own production company, ZANDLAND Films. He was formerly head of BBC documentary team, BBC Pop Up and also presents the BBC podcast, The Next Episode.
Early life
Zand attended Bowring Comprehensive School in Huyton in Merseyside.
Career
During university Zand started a travel website and began video production. His first documentary was called Tehrangeles, featuring Iranians living in Los Angeles. After finishing his studies, he worked with production companies and eventually became a producer at the BBC World Service working on numerous radio programmes, including BBC World Have Your Say. After about a year, he moved on to BBC World News, as a producer and social media manager of BBC Facebook pages. Zand then became a video journalist and reporter for BBC News, also becoming part of the BBC's video innovation lab. During this time, he covered stories from far-rightultranationalism to Native Americans in South Dakota. He helped start up BBC Trending and BBC Newsbeats video offering, and also worked for the BBC's The Travel Show. Towards the end of 2014, he started the BBC's "mobile bureau" called BBC Pop Up with a BBC colleague. Here, he travelled across the US crowdsourcing story ideas and making documentaries for BBC World News and BBC News. Benjamin then went on to become Editor of BBC Pop Up and a presenter and filmmaker for different departments across the BBC making current affairs documentaries, including BBC Two, BBC Three and Panorama. He now makes documentaries through BBC Studios and his own company, ZANDLAND Films. He also makes podcasts for the BBC, including The Next Episode - a youth orientated podcast on BBC Sounds. Additionally while working as a journalist for BBC, Zand met VICE News journalist Isobel Yeung. The two announced their dating relationship via their instagram accounts in 2018.
Documentaries
A list featuring some of Benjamin Zand's documentaries.
''The Mysterious Murder of Nipsey Hussle''
Director Ben Zand sets out to unravel the mystery of Nipsey Hussle’s murder. Who wanted him dead? Was it the police? The government? Or an old gang dispute?
''Extinction Rebellion: Last Chance to Save the World''
A huge new global protest movement is changing public attitudes to climate change. Ben Zand gains access to the most high-profile activist group, Extinction Rebellion.
''Confessions of a Serial Killer''
The documentary by filmmaker Ben Zand, created by ZANDLAND Films, travelled from California to Mississippi in order to investigate the story of Samuel Little. Serial killer Samuel Little claims to have murdered more than 90 women across the United States over a four-decade period, and, although the number of victims rose and rose during his rampage, the crimes were seemingly ignored. The documentary aired on Channel 4 in the UK in May 2019. The Times gave it a 4 star rating, stating: "Zand has a fresh, informal presenting style, which allows him to ask hard questions in a low-key way that gets answers."
Zand explored allegations surrounding the sex life of R&B legend R Kelly, including accusations of holding women against their will in his home in Atlanta and running a degrading sex cult — allegations he denies.
''R Kelly: The Sex Scandal Continues''
In this follow-up film, Zand "gets to the heart of the latest allegations". Ben followed the story of the Savage family, and their daughter's involvement with R Kelly.
In this series Zand travelled to three countries, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Belarus, to see what life is like living under a dictator. He met dissidents being tracked by the state, and those close to the rulers themselves. It was broadcast on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer.
''The Man Who Squeezes Muscles: Searching for Purple Aki''
In this documentary. Zand goes in search of Akinwale Arobieke for BBC Three, and tries to understand a story that has been gripping Merseyside for decades.anon, and takes a look at how the ongoing conflict in Syria means more Lebanese hashish is being produced than ever.
''The Fish Bombers''
For Channel 4's Unreported World, Zand visited Malaysian Borneo, where coral reefs face environmental disaster as local fishermen resort to drastic, destructive fishing methods to survive, including using explosives and sodium cyanide.
After campus protests, some of South Africa's most prestigious universities agreed to stop teaching in Afrikaans; Zand travelled to South Africa to meet Afrikaners who fear for their future in the 'Rainbow Nation'.
''The Other Side of...''
Zand travelled to Pakistan and Sudan to take a look at the countries away from the news headlines.
Awards
Zand was named Young Talent of the Year at the 2016 Royal Television Society Journalism Awards. "The judges liked everything about Benjamin, the stories he'd found, the way he filmed them – normally on his own – and the way he told them. They found him original, fresh, provocative, versatile, and, of course, creative."
