It’s really difficult to establish reliable numbers, which is worrying in itself, but there is something like forty ongoing wars or conflicts happening right now (although definitions differ). These take the form of major wars, insurrections, civil wars and insurgencies. While the international media has had its camera firmly trained on Ukraine for most of this year, it previously took scant notice of the conflict which began in 2014.
Bernard-Henri Lévy, or simply BHL in his native France, is a controversial and highly opinionated philosopher, writer and intellectual. He is also a political activist, which often brings him into direct conflict with authorities. In The Will To See, his new documentary co-directed with Marc Roussel, he travels the world to a number of combat zones to witness the fighting and also the humanitarian crisis which follows in its wake.
The Will To See is an urgent film which spans a number of countries (including Ukraine, Syrian Kurdistan, Nigeria, Afghanistan and areas of Central and Eastern Africa) and types of conflict. These forgotten wars make little impression in Europe or North America but decimate the populations where they’re fought. BHL can be an acquired taste, but the importance of his message cannot be Understated. Making The Will To See a very important film.
The Will To See open in US cinemas on 29 April.
