War Photographer (2001)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Christian Frei

Release Date:

2001 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary | War

Plot:

Documentary about war photographer James Nachtwey, considered by many the greatest war photographer ever. |

Plot Keywords:

Photographer | Suffering | Mass Grave | South Africa | Reportage

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 6 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

James Nachtwey	...	Photographer
Christiane Amanpour	...	Chief International Correspondent CNN
Hans-Hermann Klare	...	Foreign Editor STERN Magazine
Christiane Breustedt	...	Editor in Chief GEO SAISON Magazine
Des Wright	...	Cameraman REUTERS
Denis O'Neill	...	Screenwriter / Jim's Best Friend

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

Switzerland

Language:

English | German

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

France:U | Germany:16 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:16 (canton of the Grisons)

Filming Locations:

Hamburg, Germany

Company:

Christian Frei Filmproductions

Quotes:

James Nachtwey: Fear is not what's important; it's how you deal with it. It would be like asking a marathon runner if they feel pain. It's not a matter of whether you feel it; it's how you manage it. It could happen to any of us, anytime. An we all know that this is a distinct possibility every time we go out, everyday it's what we face. It comes with the territory, it's part of the job, you go in knowing that from the beginning. Nobody feels sorry for themselves; it's just part of it.
James Nachtwey: The main purpose of my work is to appear in the mass media. It's not so much that I want my pictures to be looked upon as art objects as it is a form of communication. Whatever I did that accomplished something, I'm glad for it. But there's always so much more to do...

Soundtrack:

Hearing The Time

Moving film, fascinating documentary

The part I liked best about this film is the way it uses Nachtwey's camera to do the actual filming: on top of his still camera, the filmmakers mounted a little movie camera. The end result is that you can watch the scene unfolding as if you were looking through Nachtwey's own lens. Watching as he transforms scenes of violence, chaos, and noise into breathtaking still photographs is fascinating. Any shutterbugs out there will enjoy this movie for that aspect of it alone.

It's also a very moving film--very intense. I certainly can't get through it without tearing up, and when I looked around the theater I saw the same shock and grief on the faces of my fellow moviegoers. The ethos of the film seems to reflect the sentiment behind Nachtwey's own photographs; that is, you don't get the New York Times explanation of who the victims are, who the perpetrators are, or what the socio-political context is. The violence and suffering are presented simply: this thing happened to this person at this moment, and it was awful.

It's not too preachy; the viewer is left to ask her own questions about why and how these things happen. Sometimes all those explanations can obscure the individual lives that are contained in a word like "collateral damage." Nachtwey's photography, and this film, clarify that fact simply by observing it. That's the essence of the best documentary photography, and it's a great reason to see this film.