Reporter

Eric Daniel Metzgar's tribute to New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof makes the viewer feel inadequate to the Herculean task of ameliorating world tragedies but grateful that the Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist is courageous enough to make us aware of them by, for example, facing down genocidal Congolese warlords. Kristof is credited with almost single-handedly exposing the crisis in Darfur to a worldwide audience; here Metzgar's camera follows him to a different location: the wilds of the war-torn Republic of Congo. Joining the group are two young activists—winners of a “Win a Trip with Nick Kristof” contest, in which the prize is a white-knuckled guided tour of third-world poverty, sickness, and death. The film finds unfortunate Congolese villagers caught in the crossfire of two warring factions, with both sides convinced they're doing God's work. As he documents Kristof's interactions, Metzgar also highlights the reporter's challenge in conveying unspeakable horrors, along with Kristof's determination to ensure that disasters not go underreported. At the documentary's climactic center is Kristof's interview with the local reigning warlord in a surprisingly revealing but uncomfortable exchange. In the end, Reporter offers a thought-provoking profile of a writer clearly committed to exposing global social injustice but also one whose personal livelihood depends on the worst human experiences imaginable. DVD extras include behind-the-scenes footage and a photo gallery. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (M. Sandlin)