The ideal journalist stands aside from the story. He takes the picture of the man being run over by the train. He hides behind his gear and a crew.
Chris Terill is different. I have been watching his two series about the Royal Marines in training and in deployment in Afghanistan. They represent for me the new standard.
Terill does not stand back. Aged 55, he trains with the teen agers and 22 year olds and passes the same test as they and earns the Green Beret. With this training, he deploys with the Marines in the most dangerous part of Afghanistan and goes out on all the most dangerous missions. And he films himself and his unit. He carries his onw camera into action.
He makes real friends as only people in action can make friends. He suffers as they do. We get to care as he does. No soppy sentiment. No voyeurism. He brings us with him. There is no separation.
We also see the story unfold. No one could imagine from the outset of hours of episodes how things woudl work out. But as with all life, stories emerge as time moves on. In the end, it all makes sense. The sense has emerged and is not imposed.
Here is a taste.
If you like this: Season 1 is here
And the Season 2 is here
