Dispatches: The War Photography of Ron Haviv

Ron Haviv is an Emmy-nominated and award-­‐winning photojournalist and co-founder of the photo agency VII, dedicated to documenting conflict and raising human rights issues around the globe. His first photography book, Blood and Honey: A Balkan War Journal, was called “One of the best non-­‐fiction books of the year,” by The Los Angeles Times and “A chilling but vastly important record of a people’s suffering,” by Newsweek. His two other monographs are Afghanistan: The Road to Kabul and Haiti: 12 January 2010.

Haviv has produced an unflinching record of the injustices of war, and his photography has had singular impact. His work in the Balkans, which spanned over a decade of conflict, was used as evidence to indict and convict war criminals at the international tribunal in The Hague. President H.W. George Bush cited Haviv’s chilling photographs documenting paramilitary violence in Panama as one of the reasons for the 1989 American intervention.

Haviv is the central character in six documentary films, including National Geographic Explorer’s Freelance in a World of Risk, in which he speaks about the dangers of combat photography, including his numerous detentions and close calls. He has provided expert analysis and commentary on ABC World News, BBC, CNN, NPR, MSNBC, NBC Nightly News, Good Morning America and The Charlie Rose Show.

Listen as I talk with Ron about his book, The Lost Rolls, a peculiar project made of recently discovered unprocessed rolls of film from 20 years go—a project that speaks of history, memory, the analog era, conflict, politics, and even family. Listen to the interview above or here.

About Dispatches Series

Dispatches, a production of Blurb’s Creative Evangelist Daniel Milnor, is an in-depth look at those living artistic lives. Each episode will feature photographs and audio conversations with artistic pioneers who have devoted their lives to the arts. From artists to authors, photographers to philosophers, Dispatches will reveal the faces and foundations of those who lead the creative way.