Adrian Cowell was a documentary filmmaker and environmental activist who was born on 14th April 1936 in London, England. He attended the University of Oxford, where he studied classics and history. After graduating in 1958, he began working as a reporter for the BBC, covering a wide range of topics from sports to politics.
In 1965, Cowell moved to Brazil to work on his first documentary, which was titled The Tribe That Hides from Man. This film focused on the indigenous people of the Amazon and their struggle to preserve their way of life in the face of encroaching development. The film was a huge success and won Cowell numerous awards, including an Emmy.
In the late 1960s, Cowell traveled to South America to film The Decade of Destruction, which documented the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest and the devastating effects it had on the environment and its people. This film earned Cowell another Emmy as well as a Peabody Award.
In the 1970s, Cowell continued to focus on environmental issues, producing films such as The Burning Season and The Last Place on Earth. He also wrote several books, including Amazon: The Flooded Forest and The Decade of Destruction. In addition to his films and books, Cowell was an active environmental campaigner, lobbying for protection of the Amazon and other threatened ecosystems.
Cowell continued to make documentaries throughout his life, including The Death of the Rainforest in 1990 and The Last Stand of the Orangutan in 2001. His work was featured in numerous international film festivals and was also nominated for several awards.
In 2010, Cowell received a lifetime achievement award from the International Documentary Association in recognition of his work. He passed away in 2011 at the age of 75.
Adrian Cowell was a pioneer in the field of documentary filmmaking, and his work continues to have a lasting impact. He was a passionate advocate for the environment and a tireless campaigner for the rights of indigenous peoples. His legacy lives on through the films he made and the causes he championed.
