'An Unlikely Weapon'

'An Unlikely Weapon' is a documentary about the legendary Pulitzer Prize winning photographer Eddie Adams. His famous image changed the course of the Vietnam War.

On January 12th at 7:00 pm, The Charleston Center for Photography will be featuring the award winning documentary, 'An Unlikely Weapon'. In 1968, at 1/500th of a second Eddie Adams photographed a Saigon police chief, General Nygoc Loan, shooting a Vietcong Guerilla point blank. Some say that photograph ended the Vietnam War. The photo brought Eddie fame and a Pulitzer Prize. But Eddie was haunted by the man he had vilified he would say. Two lives were destroyed that day, the victim’s and the general’s. Other’s would say three lives were destroyed. Eddie Adams, like most artists, was tortured by his need for perfection. Nothing he did ever satisfied him. He carved out many careers shooting covers for LIFE, Time and even Penthouse. Yet, somehow, he was always pulled back into documenting wars; 13 all together. Finally he hit the wall and couldn’t take it anymore. He began shooting celebrities because ‘It doesn’t take anything from you.’ Eddie was comfortable with kings and coal miners. During his time with PARADE Magazine, he photographed Clint Eastwood, Louis Armstrong, Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul. Eddie’s camera was his most powerful weapon, but it failed to protect him from himself.