Timothy Alistair Telemachus "Tim" Hetherington 1970-2011

In addition to a tribute this is going to be an introduction to my next movie. I had always planned to do at least one documentary theme this year, but after the events of Wednesday I felt that one movie had to stand alone. That movie is Restrepo.

For those that don't know who Tim was or what happened I will elaborate.


Tim Hetherington was a British-American photojournalist. He spent the better part of a decade in West Africa traveling through Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria, covering political turmoil and its effects on every day life. He took a break in 2006 in order to travel back to Liberia as an investigator for the United Nations Security Council's Sanctions Committee. He was a contributing photographer for Vanity Fair and in 2007 won the World Press Photo competition for a picture of an exhausted American soldier in the Korengal valley, Afghanistan.

Tim made several trips to the region for Vanity Fair over the next couple of years with writer Sebastian Junger. These trips earned him a 2009 Alfred I. duPont Award in broadcast journalism, and the 2008 Rory Peck Features award. The two also collaborated on the 2010 documentary Restrepo, based on their experiences in Afghanistan. The Film won best documentary at Sundance and was nominated for Best Documentary at the 2011 Academy Awards.

While on assignment covering the conflict in Libya Tim was killed in Misrata by either an exploding RPG or mortar. Days after his death the square in Ajdabiya was renamed after him and a march was held in his honor. A Libyan surgeon was quoted saying, "We have named the square after this hero and I now consider Tim as one of our martyrs."

Tim was always able to get where few could and hand an uncanny knack for blending in and being accepted. He will be forever remembered and greatly missed.