Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/09/27
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Yes, it was War Photographer, by Christian Frei. It is a stunning film, with music by Manfred Eicher's ECM recording artists David Darling, Eleni Karaindrou, and others. People describe Nachtwey was 'cold,' but I find his demeanor very solemn, and I imagine it has to do with the kinds of things he has witnessed in his work. He discusses the relationship between people who are clearly aware of his presence--such as the mourning women in the segment about Kosovo--but he is very respectful at all times. I found one of the most moving sections of the film the segment showing his photographing the family living next to the railroad tracks, literally feet away, in Indonesia. The father of this family had slept too close to the tracks one night, and suffered an amputated arm and leg. Nachtwey's documentary work with this family was, I thought, compelling. Kit -----Original Message----- From: lug-bounces+leicagalpal=earthlink.net@leica-users.org [mailto:lug-bounces+leicagalpal=earthlink.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of B. D. Colen Sent: Monday, September 27, 2004 11:27 AM To: 'Leica Users Group' Subject: RE: [Leica] "The Death of Eddie Adams, The Death of War I believe that's the film to which I referred - "War Photographer." It was an Academy Award nominee for best documentary. It was partially filmed with a micro video camera set up attached to his camera, so we, in effect, see what he is seeing. -----Original Message----- From: lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org [mailto:lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of Bernard Degaute Sent: Monday, September 27, 2004 9:33 AM To: LUG Subject: RE: [Leica] "The Death of Eddie Adams, The Death of War B.D. wrote : >I was struck by a couple things - The first being that Nachtwey eschews >the official war photographer garb for neatly pressed white shirts, >clean, perhaps pressed jeans, and a minimum of gear. He is there to >photograph, not to be photographed while photographing. ;-) Two years ago ,there was a film on ARTE TV about James Nachtwey. A small camera was fixed on the hot shoe of his camera while another cameraman was following him among ruins and bodies. A very interresting link (in French - sorry) at http://www.arte-tv.com/fr/search__results/345380.html. Another at http://www.digitaljournalist.org/issue0110/nachtwey_intro.htm about 09/11. >The other thing is that there are a number of scenes in which the >subjects are quite clearly playing for the camera. It's not that he is >setting anything up, or indicating how he wants people to act. Rather >it's that they are very aware of his presence and of their role as >subjects. This was particularly true of some of the women in the part >in which bodies were being dug up and apparently identified. And it was >also an evident factor in the scenes on the West Bank. > >Nachtwey does indeed seem very different from Capa in terms of >life-style and demeanor. I agree - I'm now reading "Slighty out of focus" - to sum up it seems that Capa was running between bar, girls, ... and battle fields, a very different view of what appeared in the TV film about Nachtwey who seems to be very "cold". Bernard bernard.degaute@skynet.be _______________________________________________ Leica Users Group. See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information _______________________________________________ Leica Users Group. See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information