Christopher Wenner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Christopher Wenner
|
|
|---|---|
Wenner in 2019
|
|
| Born |
Max Christopher Wenner
6 December 1954 Kensington, West London, England
|
| Died | 28 October 2021 (aged 66) Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
|
| Other names | Max Stahl |
| Citizenship | Timor-Leste |
| Education | Stonyhurst College, Lancashire |
| Alma mater | Balliol College, Oxford |
| Occupation | Television presenter War correspondent Journalist |
| Known for | Blue Peter Channel 4 News (ITN) (international war coverage) |
| Children | 4 |
Max Christopher Wenner, known as Christopher Wenner and later as Max Stahl (born December 6, 1954 – died October 28, 2021), was a British journalist and television presenter. He became famous for filming a protest in East Timor that led to a terrible event called the Santa Cruz massacre. His work showing East Timor's fight for independence is so important that it's listed in Unesco's Memory of the World register. It's seen as a "turning point" in the creation of a new nation.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Where He Grew Up
Christopher Wenner was born in Kensington, a part of West London, England. He was one of four sons. His father, Michael Alfred Wenner, was a British author and a former diplomat, which means he represented his country in other nations, like El Salvador. His mother, Gunnilla Ståhle, was from Sweden. The last name "Stahl" that Christopher later used as a journalist was a bit like his mother's original family name.
His School Days
Wenner went to Stonyhurst College, which is a boarding school in Lancashire, England. He finished there in 1973. After that, he went to Balliol College, Oxford, which is part of the famous University of Oxford. While at Oxford, he enjoyed acting in the university's drama group.
Career as a Presenter
Joining Blue Peter
On September 14, 1978, Christopher Wenner started working on the popular British children's television show Blue Peter. He took the place of another presenter, John Noakes. Blue Peter is known for its crafts, animals, and interesting reports.
Leaving the Show
Wenner stayed on Blue Peter until June 23, 1980. He left on the same day as his co-presenter, Tina Heath. The people who made the show decided not to keep him on because they felt he wasn't very popular with the viewers. After leaving Blue Peter, he went back to acting for a short time. He even had a small, non-speaking role in a 1984 Doctor Who episode called The Awakening. However, he later focused more on journalism. He did return to Blue Peter twice, in 1983 and 1998, to celebrate the show's special anniversaries.
Becoming a War Correspondent
Filming in East Timor
In 1991, Wenner traveled to East Timor. At that time, Indonesia had taken control of East Timor. He went there with a filmmaker named Peter Gordon to make a diving video. While there, he heard about a protest for democracy that was going to happen during a funeral at the Santa Cruz cemetery in Dili, the capital city.
He decided to film the protest. This footage captured what became known as the Santa Cruz massacre. He filmed inside the cemetery as soldiers moved in against a large crowd of East Timorese people who were protesting peacefully. He recorded the terrible events among the dead and injured.
Hiding the Footage
To make sure his film wasn't taken by the authorities, he bravely buried it in a grave. After being questioned for nine hours, he secretly returned later that night to dig up the footage. It was this video that showed the world what was happening to the people of East Timor. In 1992, a TV episode called "Cold Blood – the Massacre of East Timor," which Wenner helped direct, won an Amnesty International UK Media Award.
Returning to East Timor
In 1999, Wenner went back to East Timor, this time using the name "Max Stahl." He got into the country secretly by hiring fishing boats to avoid the Indonesian military. He filmed violence against women and children in a refugee camp. For this brave reporting, he won the Rory Peck Award for Hard News in 2000.
His video and audio recordings about East Timor's fight for freedom are so important that UNESCO listed them in its Memory of the World Register in 2013. In December 2019, the government of Timor-Leste (East Timor) voted to make Wenner a citizen of their country. This was to thank him for his big role in their fight for freedom.
Other Reporting Work
Wenner was also one of the first Western journalists to see how serious the problems were in Chechnya. He traveled there in 1992 to report on the region and the smuggling of nuclear materials for a TV special. In 1998, while working for Channel 4 news, he was attacked by people during a large protest in Serbia.
Awards and Recognition
On November 22, 2019, Christopher Wenner was given the Order of Timor-Leste by President Francisco Guterres. This is a very high honor from East Timor. He also won the Rory Peck award in 2000 for his important news reports.
Personal Life
Christopher Wenner was a father of four children. He also ran his own production company while continuing his work as a journalist. In April 2012, it was reported that he was getting treatment for throat cancer. On October 28, 2021, the former President of East Timor, José Ramos-Horta, announced that Wenner had passed away from cancer in a hospital in Brisbane, Australia. He was 66 years old.
See also
In Spanish: Christopher Wenner para niños
