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The "Ilısu Dam", in the region and beyond, is on everyone's lips. It has haunted these lands for decades. For years, a cruel countdown has been underway. As the controversial dam condemns an entire territory to disappear under water, the tragedy is compounded by uncertainty and dashed hopes as the project is constantly delayed. Once completed it will be the second largest dam in the country. Started in 2006, the project was described by the then Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, as bringing "the greatest benefit" to the people. In reality, the project is highly contested. It is a whole ecosystem that will be disrupted, but also the ancestral traditions and ways of life of an entire region.

-Extract written by Cloé Kerhoas, in collaboration with Emin Özmen

Turkey's Controversial Ilisu Dam...

On January 19 and 31, millions took to the streets in France to protest against the government's recent pension reform proposal. This was the first time since 2010 that the 9 biggest worker unions were united in a common front. The reform would, among other policies, set the retirement age from 62 to 64, causing criticism from the government's leftists opponents. There were large disruptions in education (a historic number of 70% of teachers are expected to strike; 1 of 3 schools are estimated to be closed), rail and air transport and refineries. According to the authorities, 1,12 millions protesters gathered, according to the unions, they were more than 2 millions. They have arranged to meet again on February 7 and 11.

Jean Gaumy was on the field in the Northern cities of Le Havre and Fécamp as well as Peter Van Agtmael in Paris.

General Strike Against Retirement...

Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida has died age 95 (1927-2023). Prominent throughout the 1950's and 1960's, Gina Lollobrigida was considered by many to be one the greats from the golden age of Hollywood cinema.

Gina Lollobrigida: 1927-2023

« I grew up and lived all my life in Seine-Saint-Denis (93), one of the poorest departments in France. First in a housing estate - in which my parents who fled the Cambodian war - found a home, then in a suburban area. This led me to discover different aspects of this department, which does not stop at the towers of the housing estates, as some would like to believe.
Seine-Saint-Denis is a place full of paradoxes, both stigmatized and romanticized. Through photography I always tried to represent this idea of opposition; all the nuances and contradictions that forge the identity of this suburb. I then began a long-term work in the ’’9-3’’ (department number), starting by documenting the adaptation of migrants in the cities of Saint-Denis and Aubervilliers.
The Coronavirus crisis has only exacerbated the social inequalities in this suburb, reinforcing the anger of the inhabitants who feel abandoned by their government. Indirectly, the public services have a mission of general interest, they represent the last bulwark between this anger and the government.
They are the embodiment of the State at the local level, and have to face the anger of the French people, as much in crisis as they are. Public services are the societal reflection of our country and of how the government treats its population. » - W. K.

William Keo obtained a grant from Bibliothèque nationale de France (BNF) which published a call for proposals around the subject « Radioscopy of France », to realize this project. For almost a year, he documented the different kind of Public Services such as an anti-crime Brigade, an emergency service, public infrastructures, and a detention center.

Seine-Saint-Denis: Shortage in...

British guitarist and rock icon Jeff Beck has died at age 78. Best known for his work with the The Yardbirds and the Jeff Beck group, he had a substantial influence on guitarists of his own and younger generations of rock artists.

Jeff Beck: 1944-2023

Nanna Heitmann

"Three decades as a photojournalist have taken me to cover many conflicts worldwide. I was at the heart of wars from the Balkans to Africa, from the former USSR to Afghanistan via the Middle East. True to the definition of a photojournalist, I was always on the lookout for real conflict, moments of life and death, unpredictable situations as they only happen in times of war.
By documenting these conflicts, the more time I spent in the field, the more I realised that what was happening on the margins was just as interesting and important as the heart of the fights, even if they remained spectacular and strong. A few years ago, I decided to turn "the game" around and observe our world from the angle of "War Games." Looking for the fake/false. The staging. Of interpretation. A spectacle. The iconography of war influences many aspects of our daily life, itself often defined by a paradox between violence and peace, between a need for security and the showing of terror.

During the first half of 2022, I began to explore a France hit by the health crisis; a France already used to a state of emergency that has protected and preoccupied it for several years.
I immersed myself in a world of military, security, medical and first-aid training, virtual or semi-virtual recreations of combat, military-sports and strategic games, exhibitions and presentations of weapons, the political, ideological and cultural battles, engaging with the memory of past wars, historical tourism. All are forms of "war" in the broadest sense.
At the end of February 2022, the shock of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and a new war in Europe took me by surprise and gave a dark and bitter background to my "War Games." Do I have the right to "play at war" when a few hours to the east of our home is a real war, brutal, atrocious?
Little by little, day after day, details and clues of the war in Ukraine crept into my documentation of France: Die-ins of victims of the conflict, scenario changes during military training, preparations for the reinforcement of the embargo, national evacuation exercises, rising wheat prices." - T.D.

Thomas Dworzak's story is part of a national photographic project called « Radioscopy of France » and launched by the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BNF).

France. War games.

Delafontaine Hospital is located between three of the poorest cities of the Seine Saint Denis department; Aubervilliers, la Courneuve and Saint-Denis. The hospital's emergency room welcomes patients in physical but also social and psychological distress, and has been operating under a tight schedule for several years now, a pressure reinforced by the Covid-19 crisis. In 2021, the small emergency team saw 56,500 people pass through their doors and made 2,408 SMUR (Structures Mobiles d'Urgence et de Réanimation - Mobile Emergency and Resuscitation Units) exits, according to the hospital's latest activity report.

William Keo documented the daily non-routine of Delafontaine's emergency teams in Seine-Saint-Denis.

Usual Trauma

The Kurdish villages in the border area of northern Syria and Iraq, are harassed by Turkish drones. The bombing has never stopped since the ceasefire was established in 2019.

The Tall Tamr region, in Rojava (Syrian Kurdistan), is located in the 32-kilometer buffer zone that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is working to complete while Erbil area, in northern Iraq, has continuously received turkish attacks since the last days of the IS caliphate, the terrorist organisation that has lefts heavy repercussions.

Refugees camps are settled in different cities, hosting civilians and as well IS family members.

Turkey's political and economical tension target as well the primary resources, already impaired.
The flow of the Euphrates River has been reduced by climate change and by dams built upstream by Turkey, where it originates. The war has damaged two-thirds of the country's water treatment plants, half of the pumping stations and one-third of the water towers.

An invasion of northern Syria against the Kurds would be a way for the Turkish leader to boost his flagging popularity ahead of elections in 2023.

Magnum photographer William Keo was in the area on assignment for Le Monde newspaper

Turkey's Shadow Wars

On 14 December, people gathered outside Istanbul's city hall after a Turkish court sentenced the city's mayor Ekrem Imamoglu (an opposition figure from the Republican People's Party - CHP - and potential candidate against Erdogan in the 2023 presidential election) to two years and seven months in prison and banned him from politics for calling members of Turkey's Supreme Electoral Council "fools" in a press release three years ago.

Imamoğlu became mayor of Istanbul in the 2019 elections after winning twice against Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development (AKP) party, as the initial result was overturned by the election board after complaints from the AKP. This was the first time President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s and his Justice and Development Party, had lost control of the city since 1994, when Erdogan was elected Istanbul mayor.

In the polls, the AKP is currently in a bad position for the 2023 presidential elections, supposed to be held in 6 months. Turkey is also experiencing one the worst financial and economic crisis of its time.

Analysts underline the irony of the situation as Erdogan was condemned the same way in 1998, as mayor of Istanbul for criticizing the government. Imamoglu’s lawyers said they will immediately appeal the conviction and the ban.

Emin Ozmen was on site to document the rising tensions following the Court's ruling.

Protests in Istanbul after Ekrem...

Everyday, approximately one thousand Venezuelan refugees cross the border into Brazil, fleeing political instability, violence, poverty and a desegregated health system. The waiting to be relocated can last months depending on whether migrants find job opportunities or have family waiting for them. In a country they don’t speak the language, many, especially indigenous women and children will stay in camps at the border, in poor living conditions. Among their multiple needs - child care, medicine, shelter - the need for awareness of reproductive health stands out. In the remote border towns of Brazil, where knowledge about contraception is sometimes lacking, both populations found they could help each other. 23 year-old mother Besania Hernández, of Warao origins, has then been serving as a facilitator for the UNFPA to inform women about their sexual health and reproductive rights. Yet, in Brazil, birth control is accessible and free. According to Dr. Pamela Biasdakosta, indigenous tribes do not have the same access to standard healthcare and education about family planning but she has noticed a change in mentality in the last three years.
On commission for the UNFPA, Newsha Tavakolian travelled through the extreme northern Brazilian region of Roraima and witnessed what these neighbors could bring to the local communities.

Learning From Neighbors in Brazil...

In Serbia, an increased number of households have decided to return to the countryside. If this large Balkan country still experience an urbanisation rate of more than 56%, especially in Belgrade, this trend is slightly down (-0.4%) compared to last year. In Vrmdza, it is the case for Aleksandra, Igor, Silvana and Dragana, who all have lived abroad or in the city and are highly qualified. There, in the middle of the sumptuous scenery offered by nature, they reconnect with the earth and a peaceful life.

Serbia: Returning to the countryside...

Since 2007 Japan has been experiencing a demographic decline, due to an increasing aging rate and low birth and immigration rates. In 2050, people over 65 should represent almost 40% of the population compared to 28% in 2018. To counter the negative effects of this trend on its deficit, the archipelago adopts new policies, including raising the retirement age. Some of these workers are not unhappy about it, like Toyoko (94 y.o.) who owns and works at her Ramen noodle restaurant "Rairaiken", Mitsuko (80 y.o.) who runs a target shooting place "Shibu-Onsen Club "at Shibu-Onsen, or Kichiroji (74 y.o.) owner of a Ryokan.
Cristina de Middel went to meet some of them who continue to lead a full life.

Aging in Japan

After the security phase, which lasted nearly two years, the restoration of Notre-Dame-de-Paris began in September 2022. The workers have undertaken the cleaning of the sculptures, ornements and paintings as well as the erection of a gigantic scaffolding that will allow the reconstruction of the spire. This one should point in the Parisian sky from March 2023. This cleaning chapter was also an opportunity to make discoveries; a lead sarcophagus probably dating from the 14th century and pieces of sculpture from the 13th century from the fall of the rood screen between the heart and the nave, lapidary marks, left by the craftsmen during the centuries of construction of the cathedral. Notre-Dame is a gold mine for archaeologists in search of information about the past, who knows what secrets it still holds in its heart.
Patrick Zachmann has been following every stage of this long process since 2019.

Notre-Dame de Paris, The Restoration...

Portmeiron, in North coast of Wales, is a village imagined, designed and built between 1925 and 1973 by architect Sir Clough Williams-Ellis.Inspired by Mediterranean city ornements and particularly the Italian village of Portofino, with its colourful facades and in the middle of a the lush Snowdonia national parc, the complex was particularly appreciated by artists such as The Beatles, George Bernard Shaw, Noel Coward, and has been the set for different movies and series in recent years. It is a site entirely dedicated to tourism and was never inhabited. Martin Parr visited this unusual place and witnessed the success of Clough's visionary project.

Portmeirion

In October, Israeli forces have blocked the West Bank city of Nablus and neighboring villages for two weeks, after a member of the Palestinian militant group « Lions’ Den », Udai Tamimi, killed an Israeli soldier and wounded a contractor in Shuafat refugee camp. The besieged population is not estranged to this turmoil as tensions seem to have risen up between the settlers and the local Palestinian communities these last years. Portraits of martyrs continue line up on the walls of Nablus and young men declare they are still « ready to die » for their land. A strike was declared and protests organized for the local hero. Another day, a couple of months earlier this year, another shooting, Ibrahim al-Nabulsi, founder of the « Lions’ Den » was killed by an Israeli raid. In his old hideout in the Old City of Nablus, everything is as the same as it was this day before he died with two of his friends, like an « eviscerated show » said Peter Van Agtmael.

On assignment for Zeit with journalist Lea Frehse, Peter Van Agtmael documented the daily life of the besieged city.

Nablus, New Tensions in the West...

Brazilian football legend Pelé has died at age 82. Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, he is considered by many to be the greatest to have ever played the game.

Pelé: 1940-2022

From the publisher: "The House of Bondage is the dwelling-place of the black people of South Africa, whose bitter life is one of the tragedies of our century. Ernest Cole has lived the tragedy as an inmate of the House for most of his twenty-seven years. A remarkably gifted photographer and an eloquent spokesman, he...exiled himself to expose the harsh realities of his homeland. From his unique vantage point, Cole sees every aspect of South Africa's degradation with a searching eye and a passionate heart."

Random House, 1967
187 pages
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0006BR0PG
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0394429354
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0394429359

House of Bondage

2022 has proven to be another busy year for Magnum Photographers, with dozens covering stories in all corners of the globe but with a concentration on the conflict in Ukraine.
As the year comes to an end, we present this series of albums highlighting some of the images and feature stories produced during the past 12 months.

End of Year 2022

Ukrainian President Vicktor Yanukovych’s cabinet abandoned an agreement on closer trade ties in the EU, favoring closer cooperation with Russia. What began as small protests escalated to the Revolution of Dignity, also known as the Maidan Revolution, a violent protest with at least 88 deaths. Following the Euromaidan protests and removal of Yanukovych, partnered with pro-Russia unrest in Ukraine, Russian annexed the Ukrainian territory of Crimea.

Demonstrations in the Donbas area of Ukraine escalated into a war between the Ukrainian Government and Russian-backed separatist forces. Russian military vehicles crossed the border in several locations of Donetsk Oblast, which is believed to be responsible for the defeat of Ukrainian forces in early September of 2014. In November, Ukrainian military reported intensive movement of Russian combat troops into separatist-controlled parts of eastern Ukraine.

In October 2021, Russia reignited concerns of a potential invasion after moving troops and military equipment to the shared border with Ukraine. The buildup continued until Russia launched a full-scale invasion in February, 2022.

Russo-Ukrainian Conflict

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