War Photographer is a documentary by Christian Frei about the photographer James Nachtwey. As well as telling the story of an iconic man in the field of war photography, the film addresses the broader scope of ideas common to all those involved in war journalism, as well as the issues that they cover.
One of the main themes of the documentary is the level to which a journalist should become involved in the events that they are there to document. Nachtwey credits the intimacy of his photography to his emphasis on establishing a rapport with his subjects, often despite a significant language barrier. Des Wright, a cameraman with Reuters, describes the problem of being too far removed from what is happening. Discussing a video reel of President Suharto's resignation and a police crackdown on protestors, he notes: "[Some journalists] say, 'I'm sorry, I'm a journalist, I'm not a part of this.' And I say, but you are a part of it. I think a lot of people would be quite happy for that man to be killed so they can get the particular picture that they want."
The documentary uses footage filmed with a small "microcam" video camera mounted on Nachtwey's SLR cameras. This technique gives a sense of immediacy to the viewer, showing events from the perspective of the photographer.
The documentary uses footage filmed with a small "microcam" video camera mounted on Nachtwey's SLR cameras. This technique gives a sense of immediacy to the viewer, showing events from the perspective of the photographer.
Events and locations depicted in the film
> Post-war Kosovo
>Poverty and riots in Jakarta, Indonesia
>Ramallah, the West Bank
>A sulfur mine at Ijen in East Java, Indonesia
>New York City, New York, United States
>Hamburg, Germany
>Thokoza, South Africa
> Post-war Kosovo
>Poverty and riots in Jakarta, Indonesia
>Ramallah, the West Bank
>A sulfur mine at Ijen in East Java, Indonesia
>New York City, New York, United States
>Hamburg, Germany
>Thokoza, South Africa
 | |
| Produced by | Christian Frei |
|---|---|
| Starring | James Nachtwey Christiane Amanpour Hans-Hermann Klare Christiane Breustedt Des Wright Denis O'Neill |
| Music by | Eleni Karaindrou Arvo Pärt David Darling |
| Cinematography | Peter Indergand James Nachtwey (microcam) |
| Release date(s) | November 2001 |
| Running time | 96 min. |
| Country | Switzerland |
| Language | English, German and French |
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