PRISONER 951 is a powerful new drama that follows the story of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Richard Ratcliffe and stars Narges Rashidi and Joseph Fiennes.
The new factual drama is based on the extraordinary true story of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian citizen who was imprisoned and held hostage by the Iranian state for six years, and her husband Richard Ratcliffe who campaigned for justice and her return.
It covers Nazanin and Richard’s ordeal which captured the world’s attention, from Nazanin’s arrest at Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran, to her release and return to the UK six years later.
The four-part series, written by Stephen Butchard and directed by three-time BAFTA award-winner Philippa Lowthorpe has launched on BBC iPlayer and will be available internationally in early 2026.
The score by acclaimed multi-instrumentalist and founding member of Tindersticks, Dickon Hinchliffe, plays to the love story at the heart of this drama.
“At the heart of ‘Prisoner 951’ is a love story that endures through the extreme physical and emotional challenges faced by Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Richard Ratcliffe. I wrote and developed a theme for this love story that became the spine of the score in different variations. At times it is full of hope and at others it becomes an expression of their fears and sense of injustice. The score combines European acoustic instruments, electronics and traditional Iranian instruments so that different musical forms exist together in a unique space – at once British and Iranian.”
Dickon Hinchliffe’s unique style of composition and arrangements developed from his classical study of the violin and song writing and recording in bands. A multi-instrumentalist – guitar, violin, banjo, piano – he is a founder member of the British band Tindersticks with whom he wrote orchestral arrangements, recorded numerous albums and toured worldwide.
He began scoring films when French director Claire Denis asked Tindersticks to write the music to two of her films and following this he scored her acclaimed film Vendredi Soir. In 2010 Dickon composed the score to the Sundance Grand Jury Prize winning film Winter’s Bone, directed by Debra Granik, that was nominated for four Oscars including Best Actress for Jennifer Lawrence and Best Picture.
In 2014 Dickon scored Stephen Knight’s Locke, starring Tom Hardy, a collaboration that continued when he scored season 3 of Peaky Blinders that was written and created by Knight. Collaborations with other directors include Michael Mann (Luck), Oren Moverman (Rampart), Scott Cooper (Out of the Furnace), Ramin Bahrani (At Any Price), Ricky Gervais (Special Correspondents), James Marsh (Red Riding, Project Nim, Shadow Dancer).
Tracklist
1. Surprise Me
2. A Prisoner
3. Kerman
4. Visions
5. Tears
6. Forgive Me
7. Letter to Richard
8. We Can Only Wait
9. Visions of Home
10. Don’t Lose Hope
11. Pay the Debt
12. Stay Strong
13. To the Airport
14. Prison Clothes
15. Return to Prison
16. Lies
17. Need to Know
18. Nazanina
19. Wonderful News
