At nearly 73 years old, the French photographer is currently covering the war in Ukraine, as he has done before for countless armed conflicts all over the planet: the "green hell" of Vietnam, Northern Ireland, the civil war in Lebanon, the siege of Sarajevo or more recently, the rebels in Libya and the fall of Kabul last August.

A career whose inventory drawn up by RSF makes one dizzy.

Born in 1949 in Paris to a couple of World War II resistance fighters, Patrick Chauvel started his career early, inspired by the stories of his journalist father, his uncle the filmmaker Pierre Schoendoerffer and their friend the writer, Joseph Kessel. .

At 17, he left for Israel to photograph the Six Day War.

On his return, he realizes that most of his images are missed.

The following year, in 1968, he embarked for Vietnam where he succeeded in accompanying American reconnaissance patrols.

From there, his career as a war photographer is launched and will continue at full speed.

"Faced with the fatality of events, our judgment is put to the test and the eye of the photographer only transmits what he sees: a snapshot of war. But since there are always several photographers, several journalists on the same conflict , this succession of testimonies will end up telling + the story-battle +, as close as possible to the truth of the facts", estimates Patrick Chauvel, quoted by RSF.

RSF's new portfolio, which is also Patrick Chauvel's first photo book, offers new contributions and insights.

Among these, the stories of other war reporters (Don McCullin, James Nachtwey, Chu Chi Thanh, former North Vietnamese war correspondent, Sorj Chalandon) a dive into the editorial staff of the Hungarian radio Klubrádió, nest of resistance against to Victor Orban or an "uncompromising" portrait of Vladimir Putin.

The album marks the 30th anniversary year of the Reporters Without Borders collection, which began in 1992. The association publishes several a year, distributed in around thirty countries.

Their sales represent 30% of its budget.

RSF provides practical assistance to journalists in the field, such as mobilization campaigns, legal and material aid, physical security devices and tools (bulletproof vests, helmets, practical guides and insurance) and digital protection.

© 2022 AFP