Join Larry Towell and directors Matthieu Rytz and Hubert Hayaud at Visa Pour l’Image for a screening of the feature-length film The Man I Left Behind, which traces Towell’s memories and coverage of his time in the field from Central America to Palestine, Afghanistan, Ukraine, and back to his family in Canada.
Larry Towell’s business card reads: “Human Being.” And for the past 40 years, the celebrated Magnum photographer has chronicled humankind’s deepest struggles. In The Man I Left Behind, the Canadian artist and folk musician reflects on his relentless pursuit of stories shaped by conflict and displacement.
In The Man I Left Behind, Towell pulls from a vast archive of photos, videos, songs, and poetry to contrast the turmoil of conflicts over territory with the serenity of his own family farm. The film poignantly explores how losing land can mean losing self and is a testament to the power of bearing witness. The film ultimately portrays the profound absurdity of war, and a unique perspective on the loss of territories. From the harrowing to the meditative, the film brings to light an unprecedented immersion into Towell’s forty-year quest for the indecisive moments.
