Nadine Pequeneza, Director, Writer, Producer

NADINE PEQUENEZA
Director, Writer, Producer

Nadine Pequeneza has over 15 years experience in the independent production industry: directing, writing and producing award-winning factual programs. Experienced in docudrama, process films and biography, she is accomplished in a wide variety of genres. Her work has appeared on CBC, CTV Travel & Escape, Discovery Channel, Global Television, History Television, A&E, National Geographic, TLC, and Sky.

In January 2007 Nadine approached the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) to make an observational documentary on their disaster relief team, and the difficulties facing humanitarian organizations in a world of increasing natural calamity. Unable to know where, when or what disaster would be the focus of the film; the idea presented many challenges. After nearly a year of consultation, the Red Cross agreed to allow a camera crew to record their work. “Inside Disaster” is an unprecedented look at an international, large-scale relief effort.

Stefan Randström, Cinematographer

STEFAN RANDSTRÖM
Cinematographer

Stefan Randström (born 1963) has worked extensively all over the world as a film maker, both as a director and a DOP, as well as a host and journalist in TV, radio and print.

He now mainly shoots, everything from high end broadcast and commercial productions to episodic tv jobs and small independent docs.

Stefan has won numerous awards for his films and work, among them the most coveted broadcast award in Finland, his native country. This year, he is nominated for a gemini as director of photography for “”At The Table With..”, and the travel series he shoots and field directs, “Which Way To..”, is up for best series in 2009.

Stefan is the owner of two documentary production companies: Hoppa Films Inc. together with his wife and partner Karen MacKenna in Toronto, and Ab Talking Heads Oy in Finland.

Tony Wannamaker, Cinematograper

TONY WANNAMAKER, CSC
Cinematographer

Tony Wannamaker csc is a multiple award winning D.O.P. with peer recognition in Documentary, Commercial and Reality/Lifestyle productions.

With 25 years experience, Tony has traveled to 40 countries on 6 continents and worked with a wonderful diversity of characters; working with the Masai in the Serengeti to documenting the Rolling Stones in the U.K.

As a renaissance D.O.P., with multiple avocations and certifications, Tony has tracked grizzly bears in the alpine regions of the Rocky Mountains and filmed sharks feeding at the bottom of the South Atlantic. He’s a professional who is always looking to convey the integrity of the scene he is documenting.

It’s the most important job you’ve never heard of.

The Red Cross FACT team arrives in-country during the emergency phase of a response operation.  Their humanitarian assessment work allows ground operations to begin while mobilizing the Red Cross’s longer-term human resource support through Emergency Response Units.

FACT members come from 70 different countries and have expertise in relief, logistics, health, nutrition, public health and epidemiology, water and sanitation, finance, administration, psychological support, as well as language capabilities.

The FACT team works alongside and oversees the Red Cross Emergency Response Units (ERUs).  ERUs were created to fill the gaps created by an emergency as a result of temporary overload of existing systems.

ERUs provide essential services in nine different types of  specialized units: they provide health,  water and sanitation services, and support major disaster operations with logistics, IT and telecommunications and relief. The units are self-sufficient for one month and can stay up to four months in the country.

The “Inside Disaster” documentary series will follow the Red Cross FACT and ERU deployments to the next major natural disaster.  In the series and on this website, you’ll meet FACT and ERU members like the ones featured in the Inside Disaster documentary trailer.

How and when are the FACT and ERUs deployed?

When the affected country requests assistance from the International Federation of the Red Cross, the Secretariat alerts FACT members all over the world through SMS, requesting their availability within 12 – 24 hours.

Within 48 hours, the team arrives on the ground.  Working with their in-country counterparts, they compile an assessment report and plan of action, recommending the most appropriate Red Cross/Red Crescent intervention.  Working with the Red Cross Emergency Response Units, the FACT Team coordinates the roll-out of health, water and sanitation services to the affected populations.

The Inside Disaster documentary crew will follow the FACT team throughout their mission, and document the recovery process in the months to follow.  Web producer Nico Jolliet will be taking photos, blogging and shooting mini-documentaries from the field throughout the initial deployment, and you’ll be able to find all his content on the Inside Disaster website.

You can read more about the Red Cross Field Assessment and Coordination Teams and the Emergency Response Units on the IFRC’s website.