In Perpignan, my view of the 36th International Festival of Photojournalism.
Is it necessary to be reminded here that the exercise of the profession of journalist and photojournalist is vital in this world of course yes!
Dozens of journalists lose their lives every year while carrying out their work: that of being a daily witness to events, crises, conflicts and multiple wars on this planet.
In Perpignan, for a fortnight, Visa pour l’image, the 36th International Photojournalism Festival opened its doors wide to anyone willing to make the effort to come and learn through photography. Entrance to the exhibitions was free.
From August 31 to September 15, 10 exhibition venues are dedicated to this Festival such as the Convent of the Minimes, the Dominican Church, the Old University, the Maison de la Catalanité, the Pams hotel, the Campo Santo, the Chapel of the Third Order…they welcome many visitors from all countries.
Visa offers image education workshops and portfolio readings with international photo directors. Also a debate on artificial intelligence and photojournalism, with many questions that we have been entitled to ask ourselves for some time, more particularly the manipulation of news photos. This 36th edition of “Visa pour l’image” therefore offer the public 26 exhibitions this year.
To appreciate this very large amount of images from the four corners of the globe, we must, let’s say it, be able to take our time, and, if we can, return several times or decide to stay. The risk would be to personally saturate. Indeed, these different photographs require the gaze of a peaceful discoverer-viewer. The force and shock of the moments contained in each image presented in a frame compels us to read and reflect. The discovery of a detail gives this type of field report photography all its authenticity and its ultimate dimension of information.
Among these exhibitions, Tragedy of Gaza, World in turmoil, Women’s bodies as battlefields, Haiti the power of gangs, Life under the Taliban, the ravages of drug tranq, Ecuador internal armed conflict, displaced by the movement rebel M23, Venice California… so many themes and investigations which could, if we continued them without stopping for a certain time and without breathing deeply, discourage us from continuing this important informative journey.
So, we also discover throughout the different places we pass through, some calmer subjects such as the black and white artistic work of Jean-Louis Fernandez on the Comédie-Française; stories of theaters or even, this approach to our times by Jérôme Gence: growing up in the screen yard… by this mean the photographic observation of a digitalization of human relationships since the health crisis of 2020.
As for me, I will remember a work in immersion of ten years, that of Pierre Faure entitled: Peripheral France, a humanist testimony in touch with the most deprived, photographs whose black and white prints are presented in Perpignan in a prestigious space, the Pams! hotel, in some ways a sacred paradox.
And then, there are work presentations and conferences given in the two auditoriums of the Palais des Congrès, with reportages selected and broadcasted by Arte Reportage.
Each evening during the Festival professional week, there are evening screenings offered at Campo Santo, a former 16th century cloister-cemetery backed by Saint-Jean Cathedral, now open to live shows.
In this prestigious historical place, awards and screenings follow one another; Reporters whose work has been noticed by partners are awarded scholarships and prizes such as the various Visas d’Or (best reportages produced between September 2023 and August 2024), so that they can continue as best they can with some financial help their mission of witnessing in our world.
Finally, we must salute the two weeks from September 16 to 20 and from September 23 to 27, they are organized by the public service of the Visa pour l’image association, they will be devoted to schoolchildren in terms of media education and information. I would like to remind you here that media education is an integral part of school programs, it is a pillar of the citizenship journey of every student. An educational mission that is so essential in this digital world.
Jacques Revon
https://www.visapourlimage.com
