Chris Terrill Biography

Chris Terrill is a British anthropologist, adventurer, author and filmmaker.

Biography

Born in Brighton, Sussex in 1952, Terrill attended Brighton College 1965-1970, and then went to Durham University, where he gained a joint-honours degree in Geography and Anthropology. Between 1976 and 1977 he lived with the remote Acholi Tribe of Southern Sudan where he carried out doctoral research on the impact of civil war on the tribal society before taking up the post of Head of Geography at Rendcomb College in Gloucestershire. In 1983, he left teaching to become a full-time professional anthropologist working for the International Disaster Institute and the UN in Geneva and throughout the famine gripped and war ravaged areas of Africa. Later, and quite by accident, he moved into broadcasting when he went to give an interview to the BBC African Service and was offered a job on the spot. He changed careers and became a producer for the BBC World Service specialising in African affairs. After five years in radio, in which he specialised in current affairs, documentaries and drama, Terrill joined BBC television as a documentary producer, making investigative documentaries and observational films and series about communities all over the world.

As a programme maker, Terrill has always favoured anthropological methodology, particularly participant observation, rather than more conventional documentary making techniques. As a Fellow of the Royal Anthropological Institute and the Royal Geographical Society, Terrill is regarded as a practising anthropologist/geographer who uses film as his primary research tool and recording medium in the field.

He won an Emmy for outstanding investigative journalism for a film called Ape Trade. This Inside Story Special (BBC1) exposed the major gangs smuggling endangered orangutans to illegal markets in Taiwan, the USA and Russia. After 20 years at the BBC, and with over 100 prime time films to his name, he left the corporation in 2003 to set up his own company, Uppercut Films, and began to specialise in military and high adventure documentaries"?though always concentrating on communities/groups and their internal dynamics. In 2007, he documented and participated in the rigorous eight months training with the Royal Marine Commandos after which he followed the newly qualified recruits to the front line in Afghanistan for their first taste of real war. Terrill is the first civilian to complete and pass all four commando tests for which he was awarded an honorary green beret.

Terrill produces his own camerawork and sound recording without a film crew. This "lone wolf" technique is a hallmark of his work. Using the new digital technology, he was the first main stream filmmaker to experiment as a self-shooting/self-recording director in the mid 1990s when he made Soho Stories for the BBC; a series that won him the coveted Royal Television Society Award for Innovation. This seminal series, a colourful and highly revealing portrait of London's glamorous Soho district, was one of the first to use the docu-soap style of filmmaking. Widely credited as the "father of the docu-soap", though both Paul Watson and Jeremy Mills have similar claim to the title, Terrill then went on to refine his techniques on prime time series such as The Cruise (BBC1), Jailbirds (BBC1), Through the Eyes of the Old (BBC1), The Ship (BBC2), Shipmates (BBC 1) and two feature documentary specials on Charlotte Church"?Spreading Her Wings (BBC1) and Confessions of a Teen-angel (ITV1). Commando: On the Front Line (ITV1)"?an account of Royal Marine Commandos fighting in Afghanistan was followed by Nature's Fury (ITV1) a trilogy on the world's greatest storms and their impact on communities

In 2009 Terrill made a series on the Theatre Royal, Haymarket, London, called Theatreland. This was an intimate portrait of theatre people at work and featured Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart and Anna Friel. In the same year he made a two-part film series about Royal Marines, badly injured in Afghanistan, attempting to climb in the high Himalayas (Wartorn Warriors"?Sky1). In 2010 he spent six months on in the Caribbean filming counter narcotics operations as well as humanitarian disaster relief during the hurricane season (Royal Navy: Caribbean Patrol for Channel Five and National Geographic). In 2011 Terrill returned to working with the Royal Marines when he joined 42 Commando in the dangerous Nad e Ali (north) district of Helmand Province. This was for a 6-part series commissioned by Channel Five entitled "Royal Marines: Mission Afghanistan" transmitted in January/February 2012.

In late 2011 Terrill embarked on a project that brought together the military and the theatre. The Theatre Royal, Haymarket (where Terrill had filmed Theatreland in 2009) put on a play using injured soldiers and marines as the actors, singers, and dancers. The play, written by the poet Owen Sheers and based on the experiences of the soldiers mostly in Afghanistan, was called The Two Worlds of Charlie F and was performed on 22 January 2012. Terrill's feature-length film entitled Theatre of War, documenting the preparation of the play, was shown on BBC1's Imagine strand and was nominated for a prestigious Grierson Award in the best arts documentary category.

In 2014 Terrill's current affairs film for the BBC: Marine A: Criminal or Casualty of War? won the Evcom Clarion Award for ethics in journalism.

In 2015 Terrill became a Fellow of The Maritime Foundation and was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Terrill lectures widely on film making techniques - especially on working solo in the field. He holds regular workshops at the London Film School.

Personal life

In 1999 Terrill was engaged for a brief period to former glamour model Heather Mills. He proposed to her on a fishing boat whilst sailing up the Mekong River in Cambodia, where they were making a film about landmines.

Terrill is now married to the BAFTA award winning filmmaker Christine Hall.

On 9 February 2013 Terrill received a full apology in open court from News Group for repeatedly hacking his phone in 2005/06. They also paid undisclosed but substantial damages plus costs.

Terrill is an accomplished amateur athlete, specialising in ultra running, triathlon, rugby and boxing.

Books published

Year	Title	Publisher	Synopsis
1995	HMS Brilliant	BBC Books	The book describes the events that took place on the HMS Brilliant, a Royal Navy frigate on front line duty in the Adriatic during the Yugoslavian war as part of Operation Sharp Guard.
2005	Shipmates	Century Random House	An exploration of the British Royal Navy's heritage and its role in the modern world.
2007	Commando	Arrow Books Random House	Chris Terrill's experience of training with the elite Royal Marines Commandos and winning his own green beret before following them to the front line in Afghanistan.

Film history

Year	Film/television series	Broadcaster	Summary
1989	Subway	BBC1	Crime and violence on the London Underground
1990	Bullies	BBC2	The chronic problem of school bullying
1990	The Race Game	BBC1	An investigation into racism in British sport.
1990	Fit To Drop	BBC2	The extraordinary story of people addicted to exercise.
1991	40 Minutes: Brief Encounters	BBC2	Prostitutes, pimps, punters and the police at Kings Cross Railway Station
1992	Ape Trade	BBC1/National Geographic	Undercover investigation into international orangutan smuggling
1993	Yellow Line	BBC1	The vicious parking wars on the streets of London
1993	Miami Wild	BBC2	Policing the animal smuggling trade in Florida
1994	Seeing Red	BBC1	Union unrest, crime and violence on London's buses
1994	The Women Trade	BBC1	Undercover investigation into international prostitution and the marketing of women for the sex industry
1995	Beloved Country	BBC2	6-part series on ordinary South African lives as they approached full democracy and black rule
1996	HMS Brilliant	BBC1	6-part series on a Royal Navy warship serving during the Yugoslavian war
1996	Alison's Last Mountain	BBC1	Journey to K2 with the family of Alison Hargreaves soon after her death on the mountain
1997	Soho Stories	BBC 2	12-part series about life in London's famous and flamboyant Soho district
1998	The Cruise	BBC 1	12-part series on board a luxury cruise ship in the Caribbean featuring Jane McDonald
1998	Jane Ties the Knot	BBC 1	Cruise special"?Jane gets married on a Caribbean Island.
1999	Jane's Cruise to the Stars	BBC 1	Cruise special"?Jane's rise to stardom.
1999	Jailbirds	BBC 1	10-part series inside Newhall Women's high security prison
2000	Beyond the Bars	BBC 1	Jailbirds special"?What happened to the prisoners after release.
2000	Tito's Story	BBC 1	Inside Story special on an 11-year-old autistic boy in India who writes beautiful philosophical poetry
2000	The Quest	BBC 1	The story of a rock gospel band and their bid for fame
2001	Through the Eyes of the Old	BBC 1	90-minute feature on being old
2001	Through the Eyes of the Young	BBC 1	90-minute feature on being young
2002	The Ship	BBC 2/History Channel	6-part adventure series sailing the Endeavour in the wake of Captain Cook from Australia to Indonesia
2003	Shayler's Secrets	BBC 2	Following the rogue spy David Shayler through his fateful trial at the Old Bailey
2004	Charlotte Church"?Spreading Her Wings	BBC 1	A year in the life of the young diva as she approaches her 18th birthday
2004	The Making of Sheila Quigley	BBC 1	The extraordinary story of a first time novelist
2004	Debra Winger in Africa	Charity film	Film for Sightsavers International about Debra Winger visiting Kenya to highlight the plight of the blind
2004	The 24 Hour Plays	Charity film	Film for the Old Vic about a unique theatrical experiment
2005	Charlotte Church"?Confessions of a Teen Angel	ITV1	Charlotte attempting to break into the rock world
2004-2005	Shipmates	BBC 1	A major 5-part series about the Royal Navy on operations.
2006	Debra Winger in India	Charity film	A film for Sightsavers International about Debra Winger visiting India to highlight the plight of the blind
2006	The Sultan and the Elephant	BBC Four	The heart-warming story of a giant elephant's visit to the streets of London and the enchantment he brought with him.
2006	Extreme Theatre	Sky TV	A one-hour special on a unique theatrical experiment at the Old Vic featuring Kevin Spacey
2007	Commando"?On the Front Line	ITV1	8-part series on the Royal Marines serving on the front line in Afghanistan
2007	The 55 Year Old Commando	ITV1 and 4	The story of Chris Terrill's attempt to win the iconic green beret of the Royal Marines Commando (directed by Malcolm Donkin)
2007	Commando"?On the Front Line (Director's cut)	ITV4	8-part series as above"?one hour versions
2007	The Parish Church of England"?St Martin-in-the-Fields	Five	3-part series on a year in the life of this iconic church in Trafalgar Square
2007	Go Commando!	ITV4	Two Royal Marines row the Atlantic Ocean
2008	Nature's Fury	ITV1	3-part series on the world's most destructive storms and their impact on communities (Tornadoes, Hurricanes and Firestorms)
2009	Theatreland	Sky Arts	8-part series behind the scenes at the famous Theatre Royal, Haymarket featuring Ian McKellen, Patrick Stuart, Ronald Pickup, Simon Callow and Anna Friel.
2010	War Torn Warriors	Sky 1	Two 60-minute films about badly injured Royal Marines trekking and climbing in the high Himalayas.
2011	Royal Navy: Caribbean Patrol	Five/National Geographic	Five-part series about the Royal Navy tracking down cocaine smugglers and providing humanitarian relief after hurricane strikes in the Caribbean.
2011	Nature's Fury"?Monsoon	ITV4	Facing up to the extremes of the Indian monsoon
2012	Royal Marines: Mission Afghanistan	Five	Six-part series on the Royal Marines of 42 Commando working in the Nad e Ali North district of Helmand Province known at the time as "the most dangerous square mile in the world"
2012	Theatre of War	BBC1	Theatre presents War in a unique and remarkable way for a feature-length Imagine Special
2013	Battle Scarred	Five	Four-part series on the problems faced by ex-servicemen when returning to civilian life.
2013	Living on the Edge - Blood in the Snow	Five	Following the great reindeer migration across northern Norway with the Sami nomads - the oldest living culture in Europe
2013	Living on the Edge - Blood in the Sand	Five	A journey across the drought belt of Africa from Mali to northern Kenya and into war ravaged Somalia
2014	Living on the Edge - Blood in the Water	Five	Fishing with the Senegalese and Mauritanian fishermen in the dangerous waters off the west coast of Africa.
2014	Marine 'A': Criminal or Casualty of War?	BBC1	A personal exploration into the ethical and moral issues of a battle field execution.
2014	Commando: Return to the Front Line	ITV1	A one-hour special updating the story of Commando: On the Front Line. The film follows Bertie Kerr back to Afghanistan to assess the legacy of a war that cost over 450 British lives.
2014	The Commando Who Refused to Die	Forces TV	The moving and inspiring story of Corporal Paul Vice MC who suffered horrific life changing injuries after being blown up in Afghanistan but who then reinvented his life in the most extraordinary way.
2015	Return to the Jungle	Forces TV	Veterans from the Parachute Regiment return to Borneo for the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Plaman Mapu. In 1965 36 Paras held out against 400 troops of the Indonesian special forces in a desperate battle described as "a latter day Rorke's Drift".
2015	Royal Marine WAGs and The Great Yomp	Forces TV	Royal Marines wives and girlfriends - The Bootneckettes - attempt the Great Yomp: 104 miles over the South Downs Way in 36 hours non stop! Giant blisters are the least of their problems.

Awards

Year	Type	Film/television series	Broadcaster	Category
1992	Emmy	Ape Trade.	BBC/National Geographic	Outstanding Investigative Journalism
1996	Broadcast Award	HMS Brilliant	BBC1	Best producer/director
1997	Royal Television Society Award	Soho Stories	BBC2	Innovation
2003	Emma (Ethnic and Multicultural Media Award)	Tito's Story	BBC1	Best Documentary
2014	Clarion Award (for ethical journalism)	Marine A: Criminal or Casualty of War?	BBC1	Best Current Affairs Documentary
2015	The Maritime Fellowship Award (Special Distinction)	A twenty year body of work relating to maritime matters associated with the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines	TV (all channels), radio and the written word.	Lifetime Achievement Award

Nominations

Year	Type	Film/television series	Broadcaster	Category
1997	BAFTA (Craft Awards)	Soho Stories	BBC2	Best Sound
1998	National TV Awards	The Cruise	BBC1	Best Factual Series
2002	BAFTA	Through the Eyes of the Old	BBC1	Best Single Documentary
2002	Grierson	Through the Eyes of the Old	BBC1	Best Documentary on a Contemporary Theme
2003	Emmy	The Ship	BBC2/History Channel	Cinematography
2003	Education on TV Awards	The Ship	BBC2/History Channel	Best Documentary Series *Highly recommended
2004	Maritime Media Awards	Shipmates	BBC1	Best Documentary Series
2010	Mental Health Awards	War Torn Warriors	Sky 1	Best Documentary
2011	Maritime Media Awards	Royal Navy: Caribbean Patrol	Channel Five	Best Documentary Series
2013	Grierson	Theatre of War	BBC 1	Best Arts Documentary
2015	Maritime Media Awards	Blood in the Water	Channel Five	Best Documentary film