The photographer and film-maker David Channer devoted his life to making films about reconciliation and forgiveness. His sensitive approach enabled him to get alongside people who would not normally have allowed their stories to be told.
Channer’s photographic talents were noticed by Tom Blau, founder of Camera Press, who became something of a mentor. Channer’s pictures of Nasser, Nehru, U Nu, U Thant, Diem, Buthelezi, Indira Gandhi, JF Kennedy and the young Saddam Hussein were published in newspapers worldwide.
His company, FLTfilms, derived its initials from one of Channer’s most enduring films, For the love of tomorrow (1986), about the life of the French Resistance leader and post-war parliamentary deputée Irene Laure. She had 'willed the total destruction of Germany' because of her son’s suffering at the hands of the fascists, but went on to work for Franco-German reconciliation after a profound experience which enabled her to forgive. The pain of her experiences made Laure reluctant to sanction any film about her life, but Channer inspired her to do so 'for the love of tomorrow'. The film was dubbed into 17 languages and broadcast in countries as diverse as Lebanon and the United States.
