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War Photographer

Play trailer Poster for War Photographer 2002 1h 36m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
81% Tomatometer 26 Reviews 93% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
For over 20 years, photojournalist James Nachtwey has been visiting war-torn countries such as Kosovo and Rwanda, capturing the destruction on film. While merely an observer, he still feels the immediate effects of the ravaged lands. The stark images are contrasted by Nachtwey's calm reserve as he fends off accusations of exploiting tragedy. Director Christian Frei attaches a small video camera to Nachtwey's still camera for a bird's-eye view of destruction, pain, and ultimately, hope.
War Photographer

What to Know

Critics Consensus

War Photographer offers a breathtakingly intimate look at life on the front lines by distilling the horror and terrible beauty captured while paying testament to war's awful cost.

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Critics Reviews

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Edward Guthmann San Francisco Chronicle 12/06/2002
4/4
This film is an act of spiritual faith -- an eloquent, deeply felt meditation on the nature of compassion. Go to Full Review
Marc Savlov Austin Chronicle 11/03/2002
4/5
It's almost too much to watch, and, frankly, I dare anyone to sit through this movie without having to leave the theatre. Go to Full Review
William Snyder Dallas Morning News 10/03/2002
A-
It's as close as we'll ever come to looking through a photographer's viewfinder as he works. Go to Full Review
Film Threat 12/06/2005
3/5
Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com 08/12/2005
2/5
Mel Valentin Movie-Vault.com 11/20/2004
9/10
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Audience Reviews

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04/21/2017 Riveting. Eye opening. Moving. Incredible. See more Markus M 09/25/2014 The subtlety of the film's approach in terms of pacing, music and editing means that it starts out a bit slow and I'd dare say tedious, but as the film progresses it more and more pulls you in as it makes you think about everything it's showing and telling you, and every time you think of a question it somehow manages to answer it within the next few scenes, resulting in a documentary that is nothing short of captivating and thought-provoking whether you completely agree with it or are provoked enough to ask questions of it. See more 12/10/2013 first movie in this series where i didn't get a feel of the country this was supposed to be from. it's definitely a swiss production, but for the most part it focuses on the horrors from the rest of the world (indonesia, kosovo, west bank). which sorta defeats the purpose of this exercise. anyway this was a good and extremely harrowing travelogue, and it delves deeper into the james nachywey psyche and MO than i expected. watch it on youtube See more 03/11/2013 it's a introspective and insightful movie about integrity. See more 01/18/2013 War Photographer is by no means an easy film to watch, but it certainly is a hauntingly powerful and yet slightly hopeful documentary. See more 01/05/2013 Slow, but incredibly powerful. See more Read all reviews
War Photographer

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Movie Info

Synopsis For over 20 years, photojournalist James Nachtwey has been visiting war-torn countries such as Kosovo and Rwanda, capturing the destruction on film. While merely an observer, he still feels the immediate effects of the ravaged lands. The stark images are contrasted by Nachtwey's calm reserve as he fends off accusations of exploiting tragedy. Director Christian Frei attaches a small video camera to Nachtwey's still camera for a bird's-eye view of destruction, pain, and ultimately, hope.
Director
Christian Frei
Producer
Christian Frei
Distributor
First Run
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 19, 2002, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 17, 2020
Box Office (Gross USA)
$34.3K
Runtime
1h 36m
Sound Mix
Surround, Dolby Stereo
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)