War

Correspondent

War through our own ears

Synopsis

A documentary about Czech Radio war correspondent Martin Dorazin.

The film captures the “sound of war” as it is conveyed to radio listeners by war radio correspondent Martin Dorazín in reports filmed directly at the conflict sites. Radio correspondents do not work with images, but instead convey information and emotions through sound and voice. The documentary observes how the reporter works with the audio medium, combining interviews, situations, and sound details to achieve the intended form of the message – the image of war in the ears and minds of his listeners.

A small film crew accompanies reporter Martin Dorazin during the Russian army’s military operations in eastern Ukraine. From the city of Dnipro we travel with M. Dorazin to the sites of his reports on people facing Russian aggression. A war correspondent’s work is emotionally and ethically demanding. M. Dorazín often talks about killing and death. He does not go beyond the levels of taste, he does not emotionally blackmail. He informs in a committed, interested and participative way. Balancing emotion and verified facts. The film describes the work and mindset of a man who risks his life.

Martin Dorazín has worked in conflict zones all his professional life. He has been through war in the Balkans, Afghanistan and Ukraine, often venturing onto thin ice of private enclaves. He establishes and cultivates informal relationships with locals, which enable him to deliver news of exceptional content and insight. It is no coincidence that Martin’s coverage is also picked up by foreign media. We offer a view of war through the ears of а radio reporter. We get to know war through Martin Dorazin, and in turn, get to know Martin Dorazin through war.

The film depicts the events in Ukraine related to the Russian invasion. Through the current situation, we present a timelessly valid account of the war and the way we are informed about it. The film is intended for both domestic and international audiences. We offer international scope, a unique protagonist, added educational value, and an unusual use of sound in modern times.

Martin Dorazín

Martin Dorazín is an exceptional war correspondent.

He sees his work on the front lines not as a job, but as a mission.

Since 1990 he has worked for Czech Radio, except for six years (1998-2004) when he worked for Czech Television. In September 2014, he was briefly detained by pro-Russian separatists in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, together with his colleague Vít Pohanka.

In May 2016, he received the Karel Havlíček Borovský Award “for objectivity and exceptional reporting from war conflicts and crisis areas”.

In January 2022, Martin Dorazín left Warsaw for Ukraine, one of the first to go to the then flourishing city of Mariupol in anticipation of war. He recorded the beginning of the conflict and stayed close to the heaviest fighting for a year. He was one of the last to leave the now devastated Mariupol. In October 2022, he took up a newly created position for Czech Radio as their permanent correspondent in Ukraine. In February 2023, he received the prestigious Ferdinand Peroutka Journalism Award.

Teaser

Specifications

Genre: documentary film
Runtime: distribution version 80 minutes
Format: 4K, 1:1.85 for cinema distribution DCP 25fps, UHD, 16:9, 25p for TV broadcast
Audio: multichannel 7.1 and 5.1 for cinema distribution, 2.0 EBU for TV, 5.0 EBU for broadcast
Archive footage from the Martin Dorazín archive. Reports from the archives of Czech Radio and Czech Television.