Death in Dubai investigates the fates of two Ugandan women, Monic Karungi and Kayla Birungi, who were lured to the UAE with promises of work.
Instead, they are thought to have fallen prey to sex traffickers and later died in suspicious circumstances.
Two-and-a-half years in the making, the project was a collaboration between the BBC and Thread Studios, which was founded by former combat camera team member Mauricio Gris (shown).
Together with Chris Jones (ex-PWRR) as assistant producer, the pair brought their military experience to bear throughout as they managed the risks of undercover filming and operating in countries that have reduced press freedom.
Talking to Soldier shortly after its release, Gris said the production, which involved covert filming of an alleged criminal, had been “like lifting up a stone and looking under it”.
“Once we dug a bit further we couldn’t just turn away – we had to keep going and find out what was at the end of it,” he continued.
“These women are voiceless, powerless, so to be able to give them a platform is incredibly important.”
Correcting misinformation around the victims’ lifestyles prior to their deaths had also been “incredibly satisfying”, added the ex-officer.
“We got to show the complexity of the situation and how a massive hidden number of women are being failed,” he said.
Having left the military in 2014 after seven years in the Household Cavalry, Gris completed a masters in journalism and made films in the likes of Syria and Iraq as a freelancer before setting up Thread Studios.
He described his army media role, which saw him gathering content in Afghanistan, as the service’s “best kept secret” for those interested in the field because it provided valuable on-the-job training as a producer in a war zone.
Death in Dubai is available as a documentary on iPlayer and a six-part podcast on BBC Sounds.
