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Freelancer on the Front Lines

This fast-paced documentary follows Canadian freelance reporter Jesse Rosenfeld’s journey across the Middle East. Having made the region the focus of his work, he shows us the thorny geopolitical realities on the ground and explores how journalism practices have changed in the age of the Internet. From Egypt to Turkey and Iraq by way of Israel and Palestine, filmmaker Santiago Bertolino captures the ups and downs of a new kind of journalism in action.
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This fast-paced documentary follows Canadian freelance reporter Jesse Rosenfeld’s journey across the Middle East. Having made the region the focus of his work, he shows us the thorny geopolitical realities on the ground and explores how journalism practices have changed in the age of the Internet. From Egypt to Turkey and Iraq by way of Israel and Palestine, filmmaker Santiago Bertolino captures the ups and downs of a new kind of journalism in action.

 This work deals with mature subject matter. Viewer discretion is advised.
Listen to a podcast by Jesse Rosenfeld and Jesse Freeston as they discuss the dangers and thrills of reporting from the Middle East.
podcast
Media and Communication All subjects
  • participation
    Jesse Rosenfeld
  • writer
    Santiago Bertolino
  • director
    Santiago Bertolino
  • images
    Santiago Bertolino
  • sound recording
    Santiago Bertolino
  • sound design
    Olivier Calvert
  • additional camera
    Daniel Lanteigne
    Ahmed Fadel Al Massary
  • editor
    Aube Foglia
  • editing assistant
    Joëlle Arseneau
    Marie-Ève Talbot
  • technical coordinator - shooting equipment
    Steve Hallé
  • technical support - editing
    Pierre Dupont
    Isabelle Painchaud
    Patrick Trahan
  • translation
    Divvy Ahronheim
    Kamel Bouzeboudjen
    Cevat Sahin
    MELS
  • creative direction
    Christian Langlois
  • design
    Mélanie Bouchard
  • lead motion design
    Mélanie Bouchard
  • online editing
    Serge Verreault
  • foley
    Lise Wedlock
  • foley recording
    Luc Léger
  • re-recording
    Shelley Craig
  • music
    Esmerine
  • musician
    Bruce Cawdron
    Rebecca Foon
    Brian Sanderson
    Jamie Thompson
  • guest musician
    Mishka Stein
    Colin Stetson
  • music recording
    James Stephens
  • additional music
    Stefan Christoff
    Sam Shalabi
  • participant
    Abdulrahman Noori Abdulrahman
    Anis Attia Anis
    Allison Deger
    Mohammad Husso
    Ayar Mohammed Rasool
    Nael Mosallam
    Leora Rissin
    Mark Rosenfeld
    Sardar Sharif
    Lia Tarachansky
  • rights clearances
    Jenny Cartwright
  • marketing manager
    Karine Sévigny
    Judith Lessard-Bérubé
  • marketing manager - assistance
    Jolène Lessard
  • administrator
    Sia Koukoulas
  • production coordinator
    Chinda Phommarinh
    Gabrielle Dupont
    Isabelle Limoges
    Hélène Regimbal
  • administrative assistant
    Pascale Savoie-Brideau
    Larissa Christoforo
  • technical coordinator
    Mira Mailhot
  • associate producer
    Mélanie Lasnier
  • producer
    Nathalie Cloutier
    Denis McCready
  • executive producer
    Colette Loumède

Education

Ages 16 to 18

Notes

Compare and contrast freelance journalists with their counterparts in major news organizations. What motivation does Jesse Rosenfeld have for staying in his profession when journalism is a shrinking field? What commentary does this documentary make about Western hegemony in international conflict zones? At the end of the documentary, Rosenfeld comments on what he sees as the noble cause that journalists uphold—what impact does storytelling have on the way the world reacts to human tragedy?

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Freelancer on the Front Lines
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