João Silva

In the early to mid '90s, when the South African system of apartheid was in its death throes, four photographers - Greg Marinovich, Kevin Carter, Ken Oosterbroek and João Silva - bonded by their friendship and a sense of purpose, worked together to chronicle the violence and upheaval leading up to the 1994 election of Nelson Mandela as president. Their work is risky and dangerous, potentially fatally so, as they thrust themselves into the middle of chaotic clashes between forces backed by the government (including Inkatha Zulu warriors) and those in support of Mandela's African National Congress.

'The War Photographers' recounts the personal experiences of award-winning photojournalists who risk their lives covering conflict in the world's most dangerous war zones. Intimate interviews and gripping imagery reveal stories of sacrifice, courage and the emotional toll endured by photographers and their subjects. Stories include New York Times photographer Joao Silva revisiting sites in his native South Africa, recalling the violence that led to that country's first democratic elections in 1994. Ashley Gilbertson travels to Midland, Texas, for the final shoot of his project documenting the bedrooms of young soldiers who never returned home from war. Other photographers shares their firsthand experiences covering conflict in Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan and the Middle East.