Born in London and educated at Trinity College in Oxford, Archie Baron joined the BBC in 1986 as a graduate trainee and spent 12 years there, producing and directing documentaries, many with historical themes.

His film The Homecoming, which followed Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s on his return to Russia after 20 years of exile, won the RTS Arts Award and was BAFTA-nominated. Other projects included episodes of the International Emmy and Peabody award-winninig series People’s Century and The Un-Americans, a 3 part series on the influence of McCarthyism on ordinary people.

In 1998, Archie left the BBC to set up Takeaway Media with partner, Neil Cameron. Together they have continued producing films for the BBC, exploring the history that provides the essential context to current affairs.

Motherland: a Genetic Journey is a culmination of nearly 3 years of development, scientific research, production and post-production.

Baron is a guest of Encounters courtesy of the British Council.