Sean Langan - Journalist and Documentary filmmaker
Bafta nominee Sean Langan is a British journalist and documentary filmmaker. He works in dangerous and volatile situations; environments noted for war, conflict and civil unrest, from Latin America to Iraq to Zimbabwe, and most recently from Afghanistan where he made the award winning films 'Fighting the Taliban' and 'Meeting the Taliban' in 2007.
"Sean Langan is a film-maker who's often managed to go where other film-makers fear to,
or are unable to, tread. In Langan in Iraq he was one of the first filmmakers to document
the Iraqi insurgency, and in Tea With the Taliban
he got the first TV interviews with the Taliban.
Fighting the Taliban saw him get a very rare embed with British forces in Afghanistan."
- Intelligent Factual Festival.
In March 2008, whilst working on a film for Channel 4, Sean Langan was kidnapped in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region, by a group associated with the Taliban after trying to make contact with Al-Qaeda's second in command.
He was freed three months later (21st June 2008) after his family had negotiated his release.
More information on Sean's kidnap and release can be found in the 'News Archive'.
Watch a Channel 4 News interview with Sean Langan shortly after his release from captivity.
October 2009
Sean Langan is finally back on the road after a year's hiatus following his kidnap ordeal last year at the hands of the Taliban. He writes:
"Thank God. I'm finally back in the land of the living, and back on the road, after a long absence spent staring into an abyss. After my release from Hotel Taliban last Summer I withdrew, mainly into the arms of my two boys, family and friends - but also, inadvertently, up my own arse/nose/bottle/youporn/ anything, infact, to not think about my three months in a dark room under threat of death by my Taliban captors. But after months of that realised I'd ended up in another prison of my own making, so stopped all of that and got back to life. Feels great. Have basked in the company of my children and got my life back on track. Now ready to start my romance with making documentary films again. But before I do, would just like to send a heart-felt thanks to all those who helped or who were worried about me during my ordeal, and apologies for not contacting you all. But extremely grateful nevertheless.
About to start filming again. No war for me, at least not for a while anyway,
and until my insurance premiums have come down and my boys grown up. BBC4 has
commissioned me to make a documentary about a railway line in Tanzania; a slice
of African-life, something heartwarming and heartfelt. And made me promise
not to cross the border into Congo or Zimbabwe.....as if I'd cross a border
into a dangerous place! Writing this from my hotel in Dar es Salam. Biggest
danger I'll face, apparently, are elephants on the railway track. Shouldn't
be a problem. I'm not in a hurry and happy to wait and watch the elephants go by.
Feels great to be alive and in Africa - the cradle of humanity,
and the birthplace of mine, and everyone else's, original grandmother!"
Sean.