A new documentary on a combat photographer is out in theaters in the UK, outside of some festivals there’s no word when it’ll be available in the USA. A Good Day to Die, Hoka Hey focuses on the life of Jason P. Howe and how working as a PJ in war has affected him.
The film has interviews with multiple photojournalists, including past ATL panelist Eros Hoagland.
From Monfils Pictures: “A GOOD DAY TO DIE, HOKA HEY is the extraordinary story of conflict photographer – Jason P. Howe – who braved the front line to capture images of humanity at war, its suffering, and cultures in disarray. His work has been showcased in many of the world’s best-known publications, such as The New York Times, The Telegraph, Time, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, and many others.
It all started with a self-funded trip to Colombia into an area synonymous with drug trafficking and violence. Documenting the brutal war between the left-wing rebel group, FARC, their sworn enemies the military, and the right-wing paramilitary groups, Jason gained the trust of all sides of this scarcely reported war – putting him in a position that few had ever been in.
This was just the beginning, his lust for risk awakened; Jason proceeded to put himself in the way of danger in conflicts that have defined the present day. Iraq, Lebanon, and Afghanistan, where he worked extensively with British troops on the frontline are all on his résumé.
One horrific incident, photographed by Jason, led to him winning the prestigious UK Picture Editors’ Guild Awards— Photographer of the Year and Photo Essay Award. These pictures captured the gripping moments of an IED blast that blew the legs off a British soldier behind him. Ironically, it was the publishing of these pictures in one of Britain’s leading newspapers – The Telegraph – that led to Jason being unofficially “banned” from the frontline by the British Ministry of Defence, a limiting career move that left him frustrated and disillusioned.
This is not a film about war. This is a story of a man who chose a life of perpetual peril in pursuit of the perfect image.”
