People and words from Sarajevo
Portraits are both of persons who are part of my life and that I randomly met on the street, in the flow of life.
A glance, the time for a brief chat - sometimes around a cup of coffee - and then the questions: "can I take your portrait ? can you write a message?" And we have a diptych...
I say "we", because I like to build my pictures on a relationship - even if temporarily - between the person and me.
My first concern is the quality of the interaction. Then I move on to the esthetic and technical dimension.
The photographic transposition of these encounters results in a cross-section of different “human profiles” that illustrates various aspects of the lives of people of Sarajevo: wishes and frustrations, dreams and fears, concrete demands and daily commitments. Past war concern is, obviously in the background.
In that interaction the person and the photographer together contribute to create the image and a point of view.
I try to reconcile the point of view of the photographer (my subjectivity) and the one of the portrayed person, providing him a ground of expression.
It's important for me to overcome the traditional relation subject-object in order to establish a more humanizing subject-subject relationship.
My friend Adnan was 18 years old when he entered the army of BH in 1992. At that time he could have quit Sarajevo. He decided to stay and to defend his hometown under the siege.
Eldin, 13 years old, sells Kleenex in the streets and bars of Sarajevo and goes to school. He doesn’t live with his parents and doesn’t have brothers and sisters. His grandparents take care of him: “My dream is to be a soccer player. I would like to work in a bar but first I want to finish secondary school”.
Amira is an activist who thinks that is the responsibility of each believer to struggle for better life and future. “I always see silent people accepting passively the social and economic situation”. For this reason Amira, married and mother of three children, came almost every day in front of the Bosnian presidency to protest against corruption and lack of political action: “corruption goodbye”.
Alen is an opera singer. Most of all a very good friend. He studied music in Sarajevo and his dream was always to live thanks to the music. He left his country because of lack of opportunities. Thanks to his determination he went to Italy where he is working as a singer.
I met Bakir at the “kafana penzioneri” in Vratnik mahala of Sarajevo. At that time I was interested on stories and feelings about the war. I quickly learned that is not easy at all to talk about this painful past. “It’s too difficult to speak about the war” (“Previše je teško govoriti o ratu”). Football player before the war, Bakir spent a after war period in France. Afterwards he came back to his beloved town. Few months ago, his hearth failed.
Azur, met at the Trg Oslobođenja (“freedom square”) has born the 10th of april 1992, 4 days after the beginning of the war: "I spent this entire period in Sarajevo, and after the war we went to Germany. Two years later we returned to Bosnia. I am very happy and would never leave the country."
Ismet Hukic, native of Sandžak (Muslim part of Serbia), owner of a Kafana (coffee bar) in Jarcedoli mahala, shares his enthusiasm for “the historic success of the qualification of Bosnia-Herzegovina football team to the World Cup in Brazil”.
Lejla works at Radio BIR in Sarajevo and has a music program for kids: I would like art and science to regain the attention they deserve in bosnian society.
Mersiha Sahinbegovic, director of the primary school “Porodice efendije Ramic”, a school especially committed to the integration of Roma community: “there is no poverty like ignorance, there is no honor as knowledge”.
“Bums on the street” is the expressive slogan raised by Mira Potocki, against the passivity of people who accept with resignation the bad economic and social situation of the country. According to Mira, 63 year’s old, “people here, do not live, they just survive”. Mira does not receive any pension and she has to take care to her son who was seriously injured during the war.
Nesiba (54) and Nesib (62) lost their son in 1997. Nesib (son) was 20 year’s old and was a civilian victim of the war. He is currently buried in the Bistrik cemetery of Sarajevo but he is the only one who is still without grave. His family doesn’t have money to build a decent grave.
Nudžejma Softić, working with Al Jazeera, believes that “in our life we are often exposed to the injustice that comes especially from the media and through the media”. This is the reason why she decided to professionally invest herself in the area of journalism: “Al Jazeera has provided me the opportunity to publicly declare my support for those in need, as sometimes I needed. I reached the success just through our joint motto: honest and courageous, from every angle and every side”.
Pavle, defended his town under the siege (1992-95) in the Bosnian army. On his skin: “Who dares wins”.
Rifat, of Albanese origins, baker in the Vratnik Mahala. Mahalas are the typical Sarajevo’s neighborhoods that still reflects part of the spirit of the ottoman society: architecture, urbanism and hospitality. A place where is good to have a pleasant chat around a cup of coffee and …some gossips too. Rifat’s “dream is to have a good health and money”.
Rusmir Burekovic physiotherapist at the Abdullah Nakas hospital of Sarajevo loves his country: “there is no such country like Bosnia”.
Zehra and Ibrahim: “my wife and I wish to all the world a god of health and peace”.
Alija Poturovic, 80 years old. Since 1990, is the mosque keeper of Bijela Dzamija (White Mosque). Grenades destroyed the minaret during the 1992-95 siege. His commitment to open the mosque 5 times a day and religion are the most important part of his life: “white mosque is a gift to the city of Sarajevo”.