A new documentary exploring the life of Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Lynsey Addario reveals the extraordinary challenges faced by women working in conflict zones while raising families. 'Love + War,' directed by Oscar winners Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, chronicles Addario's career in the male-dominated world of war photography and her struggles to balance her dangerous profession with motherhood.
The 96-minute National Geographic documentary, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, juxtaposes Addario's real-time camera work on the ground in Ukraine with her home life in London, where she raises two young sons with her husband, former journalist Paul de Bendern. The film captures the stark reality of being an ambitious working woman in an extreme profession that requires constant travel to the world's most dangerous locations.
The documentary opens dramatically in Ukraine, where Addario was present when Russia invaded the country. After narrowly escaping a missile strike, she photographed a family killed by Russian mortar fire as they attempted to flee the country. That powerful image appeared on the front page of The New York Times and garnered international attention, demonstrating the crucial role war photographers play in documenting global conflicts.
Days later, the film shows Addario back in London attempting to readjust to domestic life while working under tight deadlines. When her husband asks her to read a bedtime story to their young son, an exhausted Addario, fresh from her multi-week taxing Ukraine assignment, candidly admits, "Kids are so much harder than war." This moment encapsulates the documentary's central theme about the difficulty of balancing two demanding roles.
Addario has spent nearly two decades photographing every major conflict and humanitarian crisis around the world. She has captured powerful images from war zones and areas of unrest across the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa. Her career has involved witnessing countless atrocities, losing friends and colleagues including 'Restrepo' director Tim Hetherington, and surviving two kidnappings that could have cost her life.
"People do this because they believe in the freedom of the press, the need to document what's happening in war zones, and the need to make the public aware of injustices," Addario explains in the film. "People can so easily dismiss things they don't want to believe as fake news, and part of our job is to say, 'It's not fake – I was there.'" Her words highlight the essential role journalists play in providing truthful documentation of world events.
While her job and the risks she encounters are more extreme than most professions, 'Love + War' reveals how Addario, like many women, struggles to balance ambition, responsibility, and identity. The documentary doesn't shy away from showing the toll her career takes on her family, particularly the burden placed on her husband when she's away on dangerous assignments for weeks at a time.
Addario decided to participate in the documentary after years of hesitation, explaining that she initially felt it would be "very narcissistic." However, she changed her mind when she noticed that most films about war photographers focused on men. "At some point, I felt like it was important to have a woman in that role so that younger women and people in general can see that women also do this," she said.
Director Chai Vasarhelyi emphasized that the film intentionally shows that "having it all" isn't easy and is often unfeasible. "I wanted to make a film that was true to Lynsey and that could both honor the extraordinary work that she has done over a long career as well as examine the life experiences that inform that point of view," Vasarhelyi explained. The documentary addresses gender stereotypes and the unique challenges women face in traditionally male-dominated fields.
The film also tackles the common misconception that war correspondents are addicted to adrenaline. When veteran war correspondent Dexter Filkins suggests in the documentary that journalists aren't addicted to adrenaline but rather to "the largeness" of their work, Addario strongly agrees. "That question about adrenaline annoys the hell out of me, because I think it really minimizes what we do as war correspondents and as journalists who are putting ourselves out there for a much bigger purpose," she states.
Watching the completed documentary proved emotionally difficult for Addario, who admits she can only watch about 20 minutes before becoming overwhelmed with emotion. "Watching it for me is like watching the fallout of my entire life on all the people I love. I'm just sort of overwhelmed with guilt, and I'm tormented, as I am daily, just because of this personal struggle between these two loves in my life," she reveals.
The documentary doesn't offer easy solutions to the work-life balance dilemma faced by ambitious women. When asked about actress Joanne Woodward's famous quote about regretting trying to balance career and motherhood, Addario offers a nuanced response. "I would add a caveat to that and just say, if you have a supportive partner or if you have someone who will help with that, then it is possible. It's not pretty, and it's not easy. Getting that balance is pretty much unobtainable. But I do think that with a supportive partner, it's possible."
'Love + War' ultimately presents an honest, unflinching look at a woman who has dedicated her life to documenting the world's most important stories while struggling with the personal costs of that commitment. The film serves as both a tribute to Addario's extraordinary career and a broader examination of the sacrifices required when pursuing meaningful but demanding work in today's world.
