Behind the Camera

About Martin Himel

Martin Himel is a Television director, producer and senior correspondent. Through his two production companies, Vigilance Productions Inc. and Elsash Productions Ltd., he has produced major television series, ground-breaking documentaries and news coverage for major American, Canadian and European broadcasters.

Amnesty International Awards Best Long-Form Documentary Prize to:
The Arrest

We are proud of this award! The ARREST documentary premiered on TVO Canada. The documentary focuses on the tens of thousands of unjustified arrests that ruin lives even though the charges are ultimately dropped.

Andres, a 68 year old Canadian law-abiding grandfather was beaten and arrested by a police officer while his neighbour’s house was on fire. His crime? He refused to go back into his Toronto house because the gas main could blow up.

Undercover in ISIS 1×60 min for CBC Doc Channel:

Investigative documentary. Two undercover agents infiltrate the murky online world of ISIS terrorists. Includes a cyberdate and marriage proposal from a well-known jihadi operating in Sweden. Extraordinary undercover footage never seen before.

Secrets of Survival:

1 x 60 min documentary for CBC Doc Channel: Canadian Malka Rosenbaum discovers she has a sister born in the Holocaust. Where is she? German Juergen Ulloth finds out he has a different father, an American WW2 soldier. Who is he? We follow their common search, as they discover the Secrets hidden from them about their past.  

Watch Promo Reel ☟

Meet the Maker

More Projects

  • Cyber Security-Unit 8200 1×60 min for Vision TV: In our online connected world, cyberattacks can permanently shut down electric grids, destroy economies, halt water dispersion. Cyberattacks can force trains, vehicles and aircraft to destroy themselves.  We profile the world’s top cyber hackers and defenders – Israel’s UNIT 8200. We show how the veterans of this Intelligence unit are setting up the world’s top cyber security companies to stop hackers from creating cyber weapons of mass destruction. Vision Television ZoomerMedia Canada.

  • Follow the Money 1×60 min for Vision TV: Investigates the alliance between radical Islamic terror militias and organized crime. Elad is a professional cyber hacker who spies on terrorists. He goes undercover online to infiltrate Dark Web chat rooms and “stores” where heroin is sold. Women are traded in sex slavery. Weapons are purchased. Follow the Money features interviews with cyber crime and counter terror experts who expose how terror militias throughout the Mid-East, North Africa, Pakistan and Afghanistan have forged alliances worldwide to sell drugs, weapons and stolen art to fund Al Qaeda and Jihadi idealogues.

  • World Premiere: Blasphemy: Zoomer Media is pleased to announce the World Premiere of Martin Himel’s film “BLASPHEMY”. Blasphemy premieres Monday September 28th at 9pm on the Vision TV. network. Shaan Taseer lives every day of his life looking over his shoulder. He has been charged with Blasphemy in his native Pakistan, and faces a death Fatwa sentence. Shaan has found refuge in Canada, and continues to wage war against Blasphemy Laws.

  • Keys to Paradise: 1×60 min How much do we REALLY know about Hamas, Islamic State, Islamic Jihad and al Nusra? World Premiere Vision TV Canada October 2015.

  • Pensioner Power: 1×60 min Groundbreaking documentary explores senior political clout around the world – including Israel, Slovenia, Croatia and Canada. Premiere August 2015 Vision TV Canada. 

  • Global Antisemitsm: Elsash productions is now producing a 2 hour special to be broadcast on PBS in the United States.

  • Infidelity: 4 x 30 min series broadcasting on Vision Television Network. CBC Doc Channel and CTS Canada.

  • Persecuted Christians: 1 x60 min documentary focusing on the  plight of Christians in Iraq and the Mid East  broadcast on Vision TV Canada, PBS and HDNet. 

  • Jew Bashing New Anti-Semitism: 4 x 60 min Exposes on camera new anti-Semitism in the Middle-east, Europe, United States and Canada. Broadcasting on Vision Television Network Canada and Channel 2 Israel. 

  • Robotic Warriors: 1 x 60  min  documentary broadcasting on CBC Doc Channel , Bloomberg USA  and Dan Rather Reports USA. 

  • Twist of Faith: 13 x 30 min  television series investigating how religions affect world events.  The series broadcast  in Canada on the Vision Television Network.

  • North Korea Desperate or Deceptive: Himel succeeded in exposing life within this closed Communist Country as rarely seen before. The program broadcast in different versions on Global TV Canada, NBC, PBS News hour, CNN International, SKY Television, Swedish, Dutch, Austrian, Korean, Chinese and other networks. 

  • Archaeology Minefields: 1 x 60 min Investigative Profile of Antiquities Discovery’ Vision Television Canada and Dan Rather Report USA. 

  • In Search Of: 13 x 30 min episodes International Current Affairs Series.

  • Foreign Correspondent International Current Affairs Series: 8 x 30 min episodes Global Television Network.

  • End of Days: 1 x 60 mins Explores the complex relationship between     American Evangelical Movements and Israel Vision Television Canada.

  • Jenin: Massacring Truth 1 x 60 min  investigates Palestinian west bank warfare and Anti Israel Campus Movements Global Television Network Canada. SBS Australia, IBA Israel.

  • Confrontation at Concordia: 1 x 60 min Profile on Anti-American and Anti Israel Campus Movements Global Television Network Canada, IBA Israel.

  • 360 Degrees Current Affairs Series: 39 x 30 min episodes: National Geographic, I Channel Canada,  Sweden TV, Dutch TV, Poland TV, First Asia News Channel, SABC and many more. 

  • Dangerous Legacy 60 min and 15 min versions: Profiles the legacy of Balkan Wars News Hour PBS,  CNN International, SVT Sweden,  Austrian TV, Dutch TV, Irish TV. 

  • Angels with Broken Wings: 1 x 60 min Investigation into the horrific  conditions of Children kept in closed Psycho- Neurological wards in Russia. Broadcast WTV Canada, SVT Sweden, Dutch TV , Danish TV, TVE Spain, ORS Austria, Israel TV and others.

  • Roving Report international magazine program: Associated Press Television International Current Affairs Series (1995 – 2003).

Awards

  • Amnesty International Best Long-Form Documentary Award: The ARREST

  • Grand Jury Special Award for Documentary Excellence – Jenin Massacring Truth. Houston Worldfest Festival

  • Best International Documentary, New York International Film Festival, 2003 (Confrontation at Concordia)

  • Co-Winner Best Current Affairs Magazine Show – New York Television Festival 1995 (Granted to specific Roving Report Program)

News Coverage: Correspondent

  • 1995- 2007: Global TV Correspondent,  On air coverage, reporting, live broadcasts, Q & A throughout the Middle east, Europe and Asia.

  • Major Stories Covered: Lebanon Israel War.

  • Gulf Wars 1 &2. Palestinian Uprising. North Korea Coverage. 

  • Mid East Peace Process. Ukrainian Uprising. Serbia NATO war.     
        
  • 1996-98: Fox News USA, Middle East correspondent, On air coverage, reporting, direct editing, live broadcasts, throughout the Middle East.  Gulf Crisis. Palestinian Uprising.  Mid East Peace Process.

  • 1993-95: Baton Broadcasting Canada, Bureau chief / News Correspondent. Mid east, Asian, European and African coverage.

  • 1983-93: CTV Television, Network Canada Bureau chief News correspondent– Middle east bureau. Middle East and European coverage, including the Gulf War, Palestinian Uprising, and East-European revolutions.

  • 1980-83: ABC NEWS, Field Producer and Radio Reporter.

  • 1978-80: CTV Television, Segment Producer, Story Editor Canada AM.

Experience

  • News Coverage Correspondent at Global TV

  • July 1995 – June 2007 | Middle East, North Korea, Serbia

  • On air coverage, reporting, live broadcasts, Q & A throughout the Middle east, Europe and Asia. Major Stories Covered: Lebanon Israel War

  • Bureau Chief/ News Correspondent at Fox News

  • February 1996 – May 1998 | USA, Middle East

  • On air coverage, reporting, direct editing, live broadcasts

  • Host, Director and Writer at Elsash TV

  • July 2008 – Present | WorldWide

  • Documentary film making on topics such as anti-Semitism, Infidelity, North Korea and Many more

  • Middle East Bureau Chief at CTV

  • June 1983 – April 1994 | Jerusalem

  • News Field Producer at ABC

  • July 1979 – August 1983 | Jerusalem

Education

  • 1975 – 1978

  • Bachelors of Arts in Economics & International Relations

  • Concentration: Economics

  • Martin Himel’s Interests & Activities: Host, Correspondent, Directing, Producing, Filming Paramedic with expertise in Emergency Medicine and Mass Disasters