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Nicholas Kristof is a two-time Pulitzer Prize winning New York Times columnist and the subject of the new documentary produced by Ben Affleck and directed by Eric Daniel Metzgar called The Reporter. The film focuses not only on Kristof, but delves in to the massive transformation journalism is going through by stressing the importance of real news gathering in enabling democratic nations to function and illuminating a world in chaos.
Metzgar tracked Kristof as he and two young Americans traveled during the summer of 2007 through the Congo to report on the conflict and desperate poverty plaguing the African republic in an attempt to put the problem on an international agenda. The Congo is a country rife with humanitarian crises and in the last decade 5.4 million people have been killed due to a brutal war that has been raging since 1998.
Kristof wanted to grab his readers’ interest and compassion and went in search of individuals with stories that capture the essence of the country’s crisis by visiting ravaged villages and displacement camps. Kristof even visits Congo’s reigning rebel warlord, General Nkunda, at his jungle hideout. The film aims to immerse the viewer in a discussion of the ways this kind of journalism reaches the public, creates change, and elicits a humanitarian response.
Nicholas Kristof will be making a rare Chicago appearance at the Facing History and Ourselves program, “Community Conversations” on Monday, March 15, at 5:30 pm. The discussion will take place at the Thorne Auditorium of Northwestern University, 375 East Chicago Avenue. Facing History and Ourselves is the educational partner for The Reporter and scenes from the film will be shown during the discussion. Tickets are free, but must be reserved by calling 312-345-3203 or visiting www.facinghistory.org/allstate.
The DVD will be available to purchase on March 21. Check out The Reporter website to learn more about the documentary and Nicholas Kristof: http://www.reporterfilm.com/main.html
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