(spoiler free)
Striking the elusive target of the perfect work-life balance is a challenge that most of us struggle with. What makes it that bit harder, is that the target isn’t stationary; instead shifting depending on our specific line of work and ever-changing personal circumstances. For photojournalist – and subject of Gary Lennon’s I Dream in Photos – Cathal McNaughton, it’s also proved particularly difficult.
In his case though, it’s maybe even less surprising. The nature of his work has taken him to some of the most dangerous trouble spots in the world, in turn causing him to relocate away from family for undetermined periods of time. Yet, despite McNaughton’s admission in struggling to find this much sought-after balance, it hasn’t come at the expense of his career. Quite the contrary actually, as he’s the only Irish photojournalist to win the prestigious Pulitzer Prize. So why then has McNaughton now stopped taking pictures? I Dream in Photos sets out to answer just this.
When we meet McNaughton, he’s not in the midst of some civil unrest characteristic of much of his own work, but rather in the peace and tranquillity of a small cottage in his hometown of Cushendall, where he finds himself once more. It would seem contradictory then that despite McNaughton’s claims that photography commands his soul, he’s no longer working, and even more shockingly, doesn’t own a camera anymore. To make sense of this stark contradiction, both he and Lennon deliver a comprehensive account of how he’s arrived at this unlikely career hiatus.
The film does this by way of McNaughton’s own engaging testimony as he recounts his career, with specific focus on his time shooting the Troubles in Northern Ireland, and more recently, the Rohingya refugees fleeing genocide in Myanmar. The latter of the two would go on to win him the Pulitzer. However, alongside the acclaim that this accolade brought, also came increased attention, which actually made it more difficult for him to work. Although, the documentary chooses to focus more on an additional vocational struggle of McNaughton’s, one that many might not even realise would be an issue. It highlights the damaging effects that capturing photos amidst such traumatic circumstances have had on him. And it’s here where I Dream in Photos develops into something truly fascinating, as it becomes both a stunning exhibition of McNaughton’s photography and an enlightening exploration of his long-term mental health.
The subsequent incorporation of McNaughton’s photos is a carefully curated one, treating audiences to a selection of the photojournalist’s impressive gallery of work. Many are presented alongside his specific explanation of the people and places documented by them, whilst others are included in the silence between his commentary. Both uses of the images are extremely effective as these visuals hold much power. Power, that’s only complimented further by hearing McNaughton’s personal experiences of shooting them. His descriptions unlock further context and meaning behind them. Whereas those presented free from description, are left to linger on the screen while audiences absorb all of their exquisite details.
Inviting the audience to experience McMaughton’s work in this more involved manner greatly enriches the film. This intentional use elevates their inclusion, allowing their presence to transcend the simple slideshow usage that’s often overused in documentary filmmaking, ultimately enhancing McNaughton’s story as much as his own words do. His work really does speak for itself though, and once audiences are exposed to these incredible photographs it becomes easy to empathise with the photographer as he details the trauma that capturing them has had on him. It’s here then where Lennon examines his subject in more detail, looking beyond the photos, to the photographer that took them.
His discussion of covering the Troubles, and in particular the aftermath of the Omagh bomb, will prove especially poignant for home crowds. The collective trauma caused by the Troubles has rightfully continued to be acknowledged in Northern Ireland, but has enough attention been given towards those who covered the conflict? I Dream in Photos affords McNaughton this much-deserved right in a thoroughly practical manner. His reflection on his time with Reuters in India and being awarded the Pulitzer are similarly affecting, and act as a further extension of the photojournalist’s search for enlightenment. The film allows McNaughton the chance to talk through and process these experiences in a safe environment where his therapy, while originally personal, has now, by way of Lennon’s film, become communal, sharing it with audiences and allowing them too, to learn from it.
And while I Dream in Photos tackles these issues with an apt maturity and seriousness, it’s also careful not to be weighed down by, this at times and understandably, heavy tone, adding touches of humour and sweetness throughout too. Much of this comes courtesy of McNaughton’s loving relationship with his son Dara, who also briefly features in the film. In one of the most touching scenes McNaughton shows viewers a drawing Dara did for him when he was younger, featuring a charming misspelling of the word cameraman. It’s one of several heartfelt scenes that inhabit the film and reveal more of McNaughton’s personal life, which is key for understanding his journey.
Throughout the film he repeatedly reminds audiences of just how deeply photography is ingrained in his life. Yet it’s clear from this revealing moment, and the others like it, that before he’s – as Dara once put it – a “camra man,” he’s first a family man, even if he doesn’t quite realise it himself.
Therefore in chronicling McNaughton’s own struggles to find this steadiness between work and life, it would appear that I Dream in Photos has managed to avoid any of its own. As Lennon’s film presents a thoroughly well-balanced study of the photojournalist’s work and its profound effect upon him. Painting a vivid portrait, or maybe that should be a striking snapshot, of one man’s search to rediscover the true passion of his life.
Written by Hamish Calvert
★★★★
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