our November 2024 picks of the best new bubbling-under films • Journal • A Magazine • , Life in canada

Directed by Lucy Lawless.
Now playing in UK theaters. In select US theaters November 22.
Greenwich Entertainment

It feels serendipitous that Lucy Lawless, the New Zealander actress best known for playing the fearless fighter Xena in Xena: Warrior Princess, would turn her eyes to yet another valiant dark-haired woman with piercing blue eyes for her directorial debut. In Never Look Away, Lawless chronicles the life and career of countrywoman Margaret Moth, a legendary war photojournalist who worked for CNN in the US. Throughout her career, Moth covered pivotal events such as the Persian Gulf War, the Bosnian War and conflicts across Lebanon, Somalia and Chechnya.

Many members first heard about Moth while watching the doc and are grateful to Lawless for the introduction, with Steve saying that he has “found a new hero,” and Jay calling it “a must-see for a generation who may not fully recognize the integrity of those [who] put their lives on the line for truth.”

Lawless’s documentary mostly focuses on the aftermath of the journalist’s life and career following a devastating injury in Sarajevo. Moth was shot in the face by a sniper, surviving the injuries but sustaining slurred speech and grave facial disfigurement for the rest of her life. She eventually returned to work and continued to cover history-defining wars for more than a decade. Never Look Away is anchored by Moth’s tremendous life story, a moving, era-defining career by a trailblazing professional who inspired a generation. Although a little rough around the edges, the film greatly benefits from incredible archival material plus personal accounts from Moth’s loved ones, who speak fondly of her freedom and lust for life and the living. RSR