Bulletholes in Iran, photographed by Bahman Jalail.
On the 22 September 1980 Iraqi forces attacked Iran’s key airports and a war broke out that nobody believed could last for eight years and cost so many lives on both sides. At that time, I had no experience as a war photographer but I felt it was my duty to record it on film. I struggled to control my feelings so that I would be able to record the reality correctly. The war was headline news and the world’s press was looking for pictures. For six months I worked for an agency based in Paris. But the pictures they wanted didn’t satisfy me. I decided to photograph for myself, not for the market. I wanted to capture pictures that defined the war for the future. Not photo-journalistic images, but rather a kind of documentary photography. I went to the southern fronts of Iran more than 40 times — to the cities of Khoramshahr and Abadan. Each time I tried to find a reason for all the killing and destruction. I stepped into houses abandoned by their owners because of the war. Even their pictures hanging on the walls, the bullets had not spared. I felt their presence and their fear. Each ruined house meant lost lives and dreams; whatever they had wished for had been destroyed by a ruthless invasion.
All blown away in the wind.
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Voices from the margins:
Multimedia: video, podcasts, and more.
- Poetry Slam in Zimbabwe
- The House of Hunger poetry slam held in Zimbabwe in 2006, and organised by the Pamberi Trust, showcased young artists performing inspirational work on issues from corporate power to child soldiers. The video features four of the poets.
Published by Pambazuka News.
- Iranian women speak out
- 3 March 2007, London. Women's rights activists marched through the English capital last week to celebrate International Women's Day with a protest against the misogyny of the Islamic regime in Iran and the threat of invasion by the US. Hear the voices of Iranian feminists Azar and Leila Parnian and the sounds of the demonstration as it passed through the heart of the city. Click here to learn more about the campaign.
Produced by Heidi Bachram.
- Raised Voices audio:
- Benny from West Papua on Corporate Power
- Vinayan from India on agriculture
