New Zealand–born groundbreaking CNN camerawoman Margaret Moth risks it all to show the reality of war from inside the conflict, staring down danger and confronting those who perpetuate it.

Moth’s intrepid energy and kinetic lust are rendered beautifully in this documentary that deftly captures both her powerful personality and the nascent development of the 24-hour news cycle. Never Look Away asks hard-hitting questions about where our desire for conflict coverage comes from, whether it can ever be satiated, and what we are running from when we are absorbed by work and by relentless global news. Margaret’s indelible commitment to her work, her striking aesthetic, her deeply mysterious nature, and her gargantuan contributions to the field of journalism all come to the fore in this potent biopic.

Renowned actress Lucy Lawless (Xena: Warrior Princess, Battlestar Galactica, Parks and Recreation) steps behind the camera in this impressive directorial debut. Lawless creates a distinctively female, Kiwi lens to cover this titanic career that shows both the horrors and life-affirming dimensions of war from a woman’s point of view.—AH