Antonin Kratochvil II

Internationally acclaimed photojournalist, Antonin Kratochvil is a founding member of the VII Photo Agency. In this film Kratochvil shares personal stories about his fluid and unconventional latest works, including his return to Chernobyl. Kratochvil's ability to see through and into his subjects and show immutable truth has made his pictures not facsimiles but uncensored visions.

VII (Photo Agency) derives its name from the number of founding photojournalists who, in September 2001, formed this collectively owned agency. Alexandra Boulat, Ron Haviv, Gary Knight, Antonin Kratochvil, Christopher Morris, James Nachtwey and John Stanmeyer. Designed from the outset to be an efficient, technologically enabled distribution hub for some of the world's finest photojournalism, VII has been responsible for creating and relaying to the world many of the images that define the turbulent opening years of the 21st century.

While the stark realities of war, conflict, and terror attacks loom large, VII turns its gaze with equal intensity to more subtle forms of conflict and documenting the changes and development of society and culture worldwide.

Each photographer is inspired by an array of often very different motivations, and it is from this breadth of reference that the agency draws its originality and strength. What unites VII's work is a sense that, in the act of communication at the very least, all is not lost; the seeds of hope and resolution inform even the darkest records of inhumanity; reparation is always possible; despair is never absolute.

Kratochvil has photographed his fair share of upheaval and human catastrophes whilst going about his documentation of the time in which he lives. His captivating and unique style of photography is the product of personal experiences, intimate conditioning and not privileged voyeurism.

Such remarkable work of Kratochivil includes; shooting Mongolia's street children for the magazine published by the Museum of Natural History to a portrait session with David Bowie for Detour, from covering the war in Iraq for Fortune Magazine to shooting Deborah Harry for a national advertising campaign for the American Civil Liberties Union.