Harrowing Documentary Explores the Life and Death of Slain AP Photographer Anja Neidringhaus

A harrowing documentary explores the life of photographer Anja Neidringhaus, who died in a targeted assault in Afghanistan while covering the 2014 presidential elections.

Neidringhaus was 48 years old when she and fellow AP journalist Kathy Gannon were attacked while sitting in a vehicle on the outskirts of Khost city in Tani District. Gannon survived with serious injuries, but Niedringhaus was killed.

A new one hour and a half long DW documentary titled Images of war – The legacy of photographer Anja Niedringhaus tells the story of Neidringhaus’ life by using old interviews of the German photographer.

Gannon, a Canadian journalist who still bears the scars of the attack, also appears in the documentary which raises important questions around the assailant.

A man named Naqibullah, an Afghani policeman, was initially sentenced to death for Neidringhaus’ murder, which later became 20 years in prison. Naqibullah’s motivations and associations is unclear. The Taliban denied responsibility for the attack and the documentary looks at possible links to political party and former paramilitary organization Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin.

“The film shows how investigators long dismissed the shooter as a lone perpetrator, despite links between the crime and the highest levels of Afghan politics,” the description for the documentary reads.

“Why were aspects of the case ignored or covered up? Because they highlighted the failures of German authorities? Or because the killer was working for a terrorist network with which the West continues to cooperate in its fight against the Taliban?”

The documentary shows many of Neidringhaus’ stunning photos, for which she receives praise for showing the effects of war and not focusing solely on so-called “bang bang” photos. DW published a gallery of them here.

As well as highlighting her work in Sarajevo, New York, Iraq, and Afghanistan, the film also explores her warm personality and her ascent into covering war in Afghanistan for AP.

Niedringhaus actually photographed her killer an hour before her murder as Naqibullah was part of the police meant to protect the election polls.