War Photographer

I just watched a Swiss film called War Photographer by Christian Frei, about US photographer James Nachtwey. "Every minute I was there, I wanted to flee. I did not want to see this. Would I cut and run, or would I deal with the responsibility of being there with a camera?" asks James Nachtwey in the film. The photo above he took in Chechnya. Check out Nachtwey's gallery here.

It is a film that any journalist should watch. Anyone working in a conflict zone: exotic or domestic. It reminds me of a 15-year-old from a rich Jewish private school, whom I met taking photos at The Block in Redfern, Sydney. Some days later I invited him for a coffee, and was amazed by his photos of Redfern he brought along. "I want to be a war correspondent," he told me, "and this is Australia's war zone." One day I'll look this guy up again. One day soon I hope my writings I did to accompany his photos at the time, can be published in some shape...

On my wall, I always have stuck these words:
"You have to understand and accept the dignity other people, and share their needs. But it is never enough, to only risk your life. What is most important is the respect towards other people, about whom you are writing."
from Ryszard Kapuscinski, Die Erde ist ein gewalttätiges Paradies