Lucy Lawless (of ‘Xena: Warrior Princess’ fame) makes an astounding arrival with her directorial debut of ‘Never Look Away’, which gives viewers a heartbreaking glimpse into the life of courageous combat camerawoman Margaret Moth and her adventures under gunfire in the 90s… her backstory, and her days in the field with CNN.
Lucy Lawless has given us a fascinating and special documentary here, totally immersing the viewer into the life of arguably thee pioneer combat photojournalist of our time. Of all the films to choose from at this year’s SXSW24 film festival, the synopsis of this one spoke to me because I’ve always wanted to delve into the life of a cameraman in a war zone. I’ve always wondered what makes them tick. Well, I was educated far beyond my imagination because of Lawless’s jaw-dropping work.
As consumers of immense news content today, we easily take for granted those on the ground, “behind enemy lines” so to speak, who literally dodge bullets just to bring us a true picture of crimes, war, atrocities, and the like without much credit at all.
Throughout the film we meet Moth’s former lovers, coworkers, and even the current Chief International Anchor for CNN, Christiane Amanpour, whom tells first-hand stories about Moth’s utter fearlessness, which would otherwise be unbelievable. Lawless also gives us a heartbreaking visualization of that fateful day where Moth is gruesomely injured, but then how she would not let it stop her from doing what she loved; bringing truth to the masses so that they never look away, just as Moth never did.
‘Never Look Away’ is a documentary love-letter tribute to the life and work of Margaret Moth. It is a testament to her insurmountable courage to go where hardly any man has gone, and certainly where no women were allowed to go.
Documentaries like these are what really educate society, over the tiresome Hollywood blockbuster regurgitation.