“Love + War” is a searing, intimate, and deeply affecting portrait of Pulitzer Prize–winning photojournalist Lynsey Addario, whose work in some of the world’s most dangerous conflict zones has shaped how we understand war. Directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, the documentary does more than chronicle Addario’s extraordinary career spent behind the camera in war-torn regions of the world. It offers a powerful, clear-eyed meditation on what it means to be a woman navigating two battlegrounds at once: the front lines of war and the complex terrain of motherhood, marriage, and professional ambition.
The film follows Addario over the past two decades, capturing her assignments in Afghanistan, Iraq, Sierra Leone, Libya, and more recently, in Ukraine. These scenes are gripping, raw, and often harrowing, a testament to Addario’s unwavering commitment to bearing witness to share with the world even at immense personal risk. The visuals, including some of her most iconic and heartbreaking photographs, are emotionally devastating. Her work captures the brutal toll of war while showcasing the irreplaceable value of those who risk everything to document it.
What makes the documentary so compelling is its focus on the woman behind the lens. In a profession historically dominated by men, Addario’s story offers an important look at gender dynamics in conflict journalism. The film smartly contextualizes the enormous pressures placed on women in this field, including how they are perceived by colleagues, sources, editors, and even governments. And it poses a central, unflinching question: can a woman be both a fearless war photographer and a present mother?
That tension is beautifully explored in scenes of Addario returning home to London, where she juggles reporting deadlines with putting her two young sons to bed. In one telling moment after returning from Ukraine, she admits that “kids are so much harder than war.” It’s a line delivered with both weariness and truth, and one that encapsulates the emotional complexity of the film.
Vasarhelyi and Chin don’t glorify Addario or reduce her to a symbol, choosing to present a multifaceted and deeply human portrait of someone constantly negotiating the impossible. The subject herself is articulate, vulnerable, and unwavering in her belief that her work matters, even when the world doesn’t seem to notice.
“Love + War” is a gripping and quietly radical documentary that honors the work of a singular photojournalist while asking deeper questions about gender, sacrifice, and purpose. Addario’s story is both unique and universally resonant, especially for women navigating the push and pull between career and family.
By: Louisa Moore
Screen Zealots 