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Photographer Latif al-Ani photographed Baghdad and its suburbs during the golden years of Iraq, from the beginnings of the 1950s until 1979. This father of the Iraqi photograph, exhibited at the Venice Biennale in 2015, presents his photos in Besançon (East) as part of an Iraqi cultural season at the National Dramatic Center until January 31st.
Latif al-Ani, more than 85 years old, has the elegance of a bygone era. He tells the prosperous city of his youth. In this image unfolds the street al-Rachid heart of the historic center lined with low buildings. Elsewhere is an aerial view of a modern city, large square, road infrastructure.
Other images show scenes of everyday life: a young woman crosses the street, a Yezidi community gathered, the day of the woman with her floats. A metropolis developing thanks to oil and where life is good that contrasts with the disfigured city of today.
" I do not see anything beautiful today, according to my criteria , explains Latif al-Ani. The beauty that I could perceive and feel no longer exists. For that I can not photograph, unfortunately . "
pressures
The photographer retired from the Iraqi news agency in 1979, the year of Saddam Hussein's rise to power. The pressure of the Ba'ath Party militants of which he is not a part is too strong.
Today his negatives are kept at the Arab Image Foundation in Beirut. A precious documentary collection of those peaceful years in Iraq and personal images of incredible humanity.