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Christian Stephen (born 1994) is a British journalist, filmmaker, and immersive storyteller. He is known for pioneering the use of virtual reality (VR) in conflict reporting and for covering humanitarian and war crises across the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa. Stephen is the founder of Testament (2025), and previously co-founded The Signal and Freelance Society.

Stephen was born in London to Wendy and Rory Alec, founders of GOD TV, a global Christian television network.^[1] At age 16, he left home and began independently covering conflict in the West Bank and Jerusalem^[2].

Stephen began his career directing and editing The Vicar of Baghdad (2013), a documentary filmed in Baghdad’s Red Zone and released by Vice Media.

In 2014, he investigated the Afghan warlords’ use of bacha bazi (boy sexual slavery), contributing to a U.S. Department of Defense investigation and a United Nations Human Rights Council submission.^[3]

Stephen has reported from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, the Gaza Strip, Nepal, and the Central African Republic, documenting war crimes, natural disasters, and refugee crises.

As Global Editor and founding journalist at RYOT (2014–2016), Stephen led editorial coverage on immersive journalism and VR formats. He co-directed Welcome to Aleppo (2015), the first VR film shot in a live war zone during Syria’s civil war^[4][5]. Despite being briefly captured during filming, he returned with immersive content that received widespread acclaim.

The film earned him a nomination for the 2016 Livingston Award for International Reporting, making him the youngest-ever nominee at the time^[6].

In 2018, he co-directed The Sun Ladies, a VR documentary on Yazidi women who escaped ISIS captivity and formed a resistance unit. The film premiered at Sundance Film Festival, was screened at Cannes and SXSW, and won the 2019 Lumiere Award for Best VR Film^[7][8].

His VR documentary Safe Schools: Nepal (2017), scored by Bon Iver and narrated by Susan Sarandon, showcased post-earthquake education challenges in Nepal and was used to advocate for UN emergency education funding^[9].

In 2013, Stephen co-founded Freelance Society Productions, a media company focused on underreported global issues. Through this venture, he produced several award-winning documentaries and led production teams in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

He later co-founded The Signal (2021–2022), a digital publication focused on democracy and human systems.

In 2025, Stephen launched Testament

Stephen has collaborated with artists including Ed Harcourt, Nadine Shah, Vast Asteroid, and Saul Williams. His music videos blend artistic storytelling with journalistic themes^[10].

• Livingston Award nominee for International Reporting (2016) – for The Vicar of Baghdad^[11]
• Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award for Dedication (2021)^[12]
• Lumiere Award for Best VR Film (2019) – for The Sun Ladies^[13]

• Testament Media – Official Site
• Welcome to Aleppo – Full Film
• The Vicar of Baghdad – Vice
• Christian Stephen – Speaker Bio