A sense of shame. This is what one can feel after watching Under the Wire, an arrow media film, based on Paul Conroy´s book. This 2018 documentary is a tribute not only to these courageous people but to journalism. It features Marie Colvin, one of the greatest war correspondents of our century, Paul Conroy, photojournalist; and other reporters who went to Syria in February 2012. Journalism can change things. It’s the main message conveyed throughout the film. How the world can stay silent is infuriating.
Marie Colvin, despite her eyepatch, could see through people. She had a sense of mission: for her, being a war reporter was about people, and she got killed for that.
She went to Syria illegally with her trusted friend, Paul. They crossed Lebanon into Syria, with the help of their brave translator Wael. They faced cold nights, filled with fear, and runned in the dark, surrounded by incessant shooting, walking through a tunnel, without knowing the end of the journey.
On their arrival, they discovered a basement filled with hundreds of women and children, and published their story in the Sunday Times. The duo left but came back: Marie was distraught by the slaughter Assad´s regime was committing to its own people. Other reporters came, William Daniels, Edith Bouvier and Rémi Ochlick. On February 22, two explosions, killed Marie and Rémi, leaving the others severely injured. An ambulance came from them, but it was a trap from the regime. Paul managed to crawl through the tunnel again, with the help of activists.
Nobody can understand what war reporters and Syrian people went through, and still go through, maybe not even themselves, but one can grasp the terror watching this.
Journalism is worth it.
Ariane Triebswetter 