BBC Four Orders Gaddafi Doc from Brook Lapping

BBC Four has commissioned the Zinc Media Group factual producer Brook Lapping to make a feature-length investigative documentary tentatively titled The Search for Gaddafi’s Billions.

The 90-minute doc examines what became of the Libyan dictator Gaddifi’s huge wealth in the aftermath of the Arab Spring, which brought his brutal reign to a bloody end. It follows Dutch journalists Misha Wessel and Thomas Blom as they enter the world of spies, special forces and political insiders who are all hunting Gaddafi’s cash.

VPRO/NPO are the lead commissioners of the documentary, which is co-produced with ZDF/Arte and Brook Lapping in association with Gebrüder Beetz Filmproduktion. It is distributed internationally by All3Media International.

Greg Sanderson, director of London Television at Zinc Media Group, says: “Enigmatic in life, it is no surprise that Gaddafi’s legacy is a tale of intrigue and violence. This film follows a deadly trail, covering large parts of the world, to find the missing billions. Our films are renowned for uncovering the real events behind modern history’s key moments. This film is no exception and we expect it to build on its strong pre-sales to garner strong international interest.”

Mandy Chang, commissioning editor for BBC Storyville, added: “The dark story of Muammar al-Gaddafi, and what happened to the billions he amassed and stashed outside Libya during his lifetime is shrouded in mystery. As the Libyan people, robbed of vast reserves that Gaddafi took for himself, remain impoverished and locked in a power vacuum, two competing groups mount a hunt for the twelve and a half billion dollars that Gaddafi hid in South Africa. The Hunt for Gaddafi’s Billions is a terrific investigation into an under-reported African story and we are thrilled to be showing the film as part of a brilliant run of Storyville’s this Autumn and Winter 2020.”