Megumi Inman

(She/Her)

Megumi’s breakthrough project is the documentary Atomic People.

British-Japanese director Megumi’s BAFTA and RTS-winning BBC documentary Atomic People (2024) is a chilling and prescient film about the survivors of the two atomic bombs dropped on Japan. So, it’s surprising to learn Meg’s impetus to tell such intense stories harks back to children’s TV show Sesame Street. Specifically, it was the short filmed segments exploring how other children live around the world that captured the imagination of a young Meg, sparking a curiosity that has fuelled a career exploring vivid and empathetic human interest stories ever since.

Learning how human society shapes the world through studying Human Geography at Edinburgh University, Meg found the dry academic texts unengaging. She leaned into watching related documentaries and found the form’s visual storytelling truly inspiring. Despite no familial links to the industry, Meg then became a runner on educational films where she immediately felt at home. Meg’s other credits include: film festival favourite The Contestant (2023), impactful BBC documentary Predator: The Secret Scandal of J-Pop (2023), and the Oscar-nominated Black Box Diaries (2024).

In their own words…

“I hope BAFTA Breakthrough gives me the footing to meet industry people and build a network. As a freelancer, your life goes project by project. It’s not like you can naturally work your way up the career ladder; you really have to build it yourself. I’d like to craft a food-for-thought chain with new friends and mentors through BAFTA Breakthrough. I hope it creates an opportunity for me to talk about the projects I want to do and my vision for them, as well as learn how to keep going in this industry.”