The Edge of the Frame

There’s not a lot to say on this subject, so I’ll keep it brief. Suffice to say that this is epically tragic news. Tim Hetherington was a veteran photojournalist who has spent over a decade covering combat in third world countries. He shot several documentaries including “Liberia: An Uncivil War” and “The Devil Came on Horseback.” Recently, he received his first Oscar nomination, as well as the Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize, for the Afghanistan-based film “Restrepo.” The film is an extraordinary account of U.S. soldiers serving in perhaps the most dangerous place in the world.

Hetherington has been covering the recent situation in Libya with his team. This morning, he and fellow photojournalist, Chris Hondros, were killed by enemy fire in the city of Misrata. This event is both disturbing and disheartening. Heatherington dedicated his life to bringing atrocity and war before the public eye. He tried (and succeeded, in my opinion) to make a difference in the world through his art and the world of documentary cinema will be a lesser place without his contributions.

His last tweet reported from Libya was:

“In besieged Libyan city of Misrata. Indiscriminate shelling by Qaddafi forces. No sign of NATO.”

My condolences go out to his family, friends and fellow journalists, especially Sebastian Junger, who lived and worked with Hetherington for months in that Afghanistan outpost.