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Overlooked & Underrated Docs & Features
(click on broll or dschwartz for all his posts)
Which Way to the Front: The Life of Tim Hetherington
Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger produced, directed, and shot the well-lauded documentary, “Restrepo” which brought the two to the 2011 Academy Awards, representing their film about a year in the life of a platoon in Afghanistan.
Hetherington was killed by a mortar in Lybia shortly thereafter.
Writer/filmmaker Junger has directed the documentary about war photographer and filmmaker Hetherington; and in doing so, Junger has told many people’s stories – the people who knew Hetherington, worked with him, and loved him. Hetherington’s character – as revealed by his life choices and his words– is equally fascinating, inspiring, and mystifying. That alone makes “Which Way Is the Front Line from Here?” a powerful, haunting experience.
But Junger’s film is deeply enriched by the many people – including Junger himself --speaking on-camera about Hetherington. As they speak about a character whose passions frequently placed him in harm’s way, they reveal the both the depth, beauty, and insight of Tim Hetherington as well as those qualities of their own characters.
It is the richness of this film, its journey into the nature of war, and the haunting quality of both Hetherington and his friends, that make it an immeasurably powerful, disquieting, and ultimately fulfilling experience. After only a few minutes, it became a ‘must-see’ in my book.
“Which Way to the Front Line from Here” debuts April 18, on HBO. It will play several times over the next two months. D. Schwartz April 10, 2013