“What is odd is not that so many of the iconic news photos of the past, including some of the best-remembered pictures from the Second World War, appear to have been staged. It is that we are surprised to learn they were staged and always disappointed.”

American intellectual and writer of the late 20th century, Susan Sontag was a philosopher and critic whose work explored the intersections of art, politics, and culture. She is best known for her essays on aesthetics, morality, and the role of the intellectual in society, as well as her influential novels and screenplays.