Filmmaker Joost van der Valk follows war photographer Eddy van Wessel (four-time Silver Camera winner) as he covers the war in Ukraine, mostly on the front lines and in the heat of battle. This provides a unique insight into his working methods, his vision and his ability to observe and record war.
Genre: Documentary
Language: Dutch, subtitles: English
For four seasons, lone wolf Eddy van Wessel travels along the Ukrainian front lines. In the twilight of his successful career, the Netherlands' most awarded war photographer wants to take the ultimate photo one more time, the image that summarizes the entire conflict and that makes all the struggles, traumas and setbacks he has endured worthwhile.
Filmmaker Joost van der Valk followed in his wake during this last period and documents how Van Wessel experiences and records the war through encounters and interactions with Ukrainians. On the other side of the lens, however, you are not immune to all the suffering of war. How do you function as a photographer in the surreal reality of war?
Joost van der Valk has won both an EMMY and a British Academy Award (BAFTA) for his work. He makes documentaries in the Netherlands, including Satudarah- One Blood, which was nominated for a Gouden Kalf for Best Long Documentary, but also works internationally for channels such as BBC, Al Jazeera, National Geographic and HBO. In recent years, he has worked as director on series such as Narcowars for Disney+ and Captains of the World, Drug Lords, Dope and Drive to Survive for Netflix.
The Studium Generale Student Film Committee recommends this film because: “It opens up an inspiring dialog about the role of photojournalism in times of war.”
Live Q&A with the director
Following the screening of the film, Joost van der Valk will participate in a Q&A session to discuss his experiences filming in Ukraine during the war. He will also reflect on the role of a war photographer and the ethical dilemmas photographers and filmmakers face.
Review
The war in Ukraine is producing more and more documentaries. Some, like this one, are excellent – Modern Times Review
Want to dive deeper into this topic?
To learn more about press freedom and the importance of independent, critical journalism, you can visit the World Press Photo Exhibition in Atlas or attend the lecture Press Freedom in Global Election Year 2024 by international correspondent Step Vaessen. SG is also showing the movie Civil War, which follows a team of war journalists across a dystopian future America.
SG & USE/ITEC registration
Please register for SG & USE/ITEC by scanning your student ID card at the venue.
More information about SG & USE/ITEC can be found here.
Ticket information
This film will be shown at Filmhuis De Zwarte Doos. Buying a ticket online in advance is mandatory if you want to attend this film. You can buy a ticket by clicking on the black “order” button on this page.
Please note: you can only buy a ticket online; tickets cannot be purchased with cash or bank card at the ticket counter.
For more general information about tickets, refund policies, etc., please click here.
Please be on time
The screening of the film starts at 19:30 sharp (no pre-film advertisements) and the cinema hall opens at 19:10. We kindly ask you to be at the ticket counter at least 10 minutes prior to the start of the film. This is to ensure the film starts and ends on time.
The Studium Generale film program is created in collaboration with the Student Film Committee and Natlab.