When I started out in journalism, I did a deep-dive researching the work of famous reporters, photojournalists, and documentary filmmakers. It wasn’t long until I came across Chris Hondros’ work. 

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In my journal I wrote, “this guy is somehow able to distill breaking news into artistic expressions”. Each of his frames held deep emotional resonance for me, whether it was Joseph Duo in the Liberian Civil War or Samar Hassan's devastation over losing her parents in Tal Afar, Iraq. 

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When Greg Campbell and I decided to make a documentary about his life and work, I didn’t understand the journey ahead. The five years of development, production, and post-production on Hondros was a stressful, joyful, and deeply emotional time in my life. This period forced me to learn and grow.

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Looking back at that time, what stays with me is Chris Hondros’ mission to “bring to light shared human experiences.” I often think about that notion and hope it finds its way into my own work. 

Watch full film on Netflix