Julia Dicken

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Just Another Vanity Affair

The first article in the July 2007 issue of Vanity Fair is an extremely odd, conflicted one. Its title, "Its Bono, on Line One," is sprawled across a photo of an empty photo shoot setup, giving the impression of a clean slate, perhaps for Africa. Lisa Robinson, the author, begins with a small introduction explaining the special issue's 20 different covers, taken as a group of well-known people has a "conversation" about Africa. She does not provide their names, instead introducing them by their relation to the continent or livelihood, making them seem more personable. A quote from Annie Leibovitz, the photographer of the set, ends the brief article praising the group's effort to "make Africa better, get Africa self-sufficient, and try to get rid of AIDS on the continent." As it turns out, several of the 21 people featured in photographs and captions on the following 4 pages do specifically identify their "cause" in Africa as the treatment, prevention, and research for the cure of AIDS/HIV. Not that this an undeserving cause, but Leibovitz's choice to identify the whole group with possessing the sole aim of "ridding" Africa of AIDS makes her sound as if she had not read the captions underneath her own photos prior to publication. However, it was the author's choice to use this inaccurate, disappointing quote in the piece, which ultimately reflects a poor decision on her part. While Leibovitz may have dropped the ball on the quote, her beautiful photography all but makes up for it. The way these 21 people are paired not only illuminates each of their distinct personalities, but allows the reader to compare and contrast the two characters. Chris Rock playfully pulls the ear of Warren Buffet while a serious George Clooney speaks in hushed tones to Jay-Z on the next page. Each photo has its own appeal while adding to the overall aesthetics of those on the page. While the layout of the piece is balanced and fun to look at, it does more to idealize these celebrities for their contribution than it does to educate on their causes. The togetherness displayed in the pictures is not reflected as well in the paragraphs about each person's involvement with Africa found below them. Alicia Keys, who performed a concert in South Africa for a nonprofit, describes the continent as having a "resilient spirit" and claims it gives her a "sense of purpose," language that is reminiscent of the wise Africa stereotype. Iman, who Keys was paired with in a photo, might not share that view, as she describes her Africa as "rich in human resources and in dignity," not something that exists to provide a sense of purpose for an American musician.

Two Pictures in One

The image featured above was taken by Jonas Karlsson during a grand music festival held in the desert of Mali. The man pictured in the photo is Malian guitarist Habib Koite whose work is famous throughout the West African music scene. When first glancing through the “Showtime in the Sahara” article in Vanity Fair, the power of this image in particular catches your eye. The reason I believe this image is so powerful is the contrasting pictures of what we would expect to see in a photo from the Sahara Desert and that, which we would not, presented together.

In the background of the photo there appears to be a camp set up in the desert with a few people scattered around it. The pitched white tents that stretch as far as the eye can see do not stand out very much against the neutral color of the sand that is surrounding everything and everyone in the image. This is a typical picture taken in the Sahara Desert. However, in the front and center of the image is Habib Koite totally enjoying himself while playing his electric guitar. This is the other side of the image that you wouldn’t expect to see in the middle of the Sahara Desert.

This contrast is so special because it allows the image to play into what we think we know about Africa while showing a side we don’t know at the same time. While the background of the photo may seem standard, Koite’s image is not. The guitarist’s clothes aren’t what you would expect someone camping in the desert to be wearing. The expression on his face and the way he is looking up into the sun light give the image a feeling of liveliness and enjoyment. Feelings we wouldn’t regularly be shown in images taken of people in the desert. These aspects make this photo extremely powerful in representing the everyday light-heartedness of Africa that we are not often shown.

Festival in the Desert: A Statement on Music, Not on Africa

This photograph of guitarist Habib Koite at the site of the Festival in the Desert may at first appear to resemble some images that poorly depict Africa (such as Jay-Z’s Rocawear campaign). However, at closer look, it becomes apparent that the photograph is not just another image focused on a modern-day musician that reduces Africa to a backdrop of vast space. The picture, taken by Jonas Karlsson, makes a statement about much more than just the artist—it makes an argument about the role of music in the remote location of Essakane in Mali, at a festival that brings together people from all over the world to enjoy the best West African music. The photo’s purpose is not to make a statement about the continent of Africa, but to inform the viewer that music at the Festival in the Desert (and possibly in general) is a unifying element that breaks down cultural barriers.

One of the first reactions that the viewer may have to this image is that the central figure (Habib Koite) and his guitar seem out of context with the rest of the photo. The photographer strategically included a number of modern elements to juxtapose the vast, simple background. The only two distinguishable figures in the photograph are Koite and the Tuareg on the camel, walking casually in the background. The contrast between these two people alone is clear—Koite’s modern dress of sunglasses, a necklace, a watch, and clean sneakers and clothing is in complete contrast to the Tuareg’s figure which appears to be wrapped in layers of clothing, riding on a camel. The use of color in the image also depicts the contrast between the musician and the landscape of the festival—while Koite wears all black, the backdrop consists of all neutral colors.

The image informs the viewer of the extreme differences between the musician and the environment in Essakane. However, the central object of the image—the guitar—breaks down the differences in clothing, lifestyle and culture and unifies the diverse group of people who come to enjoy the festival.

The electric guitar is the center of the image both physically and metaphorically. The golden color of the instrument makes it stand out against the neutral background of the sand, tents and sky, and all-black clothing of the musician. Clearly, this what the photographer wants the viewer to concentrate on. By placing such great emphasis on the instrument, the image argues that music is the element that unifies these two very different worlds (exemplified in the contrast between Koite and the Tuareg and Essakane).

The mood of the photo is created by the use of light and warm colors. The sun shining on the musician and the tents delivers a sense of joy and happiness. By positioning Koite with his head toward the sky, also helps create a sense of enjoyment—the happiness brought on by playing the guitar and hearing the music. The use of pale, almost-white colors for the clear sky brings peace, tranquility, and grace to the photograph. The vast, remote background of sand and the lack of wind and movement in the photograph (though the article noted the strong winds at the Festival) show that the photographer wanted to capture a sense of quietness and simplicity—which Karlsson attributes all to the presence of music.

It has been said "a picture tells a thousand words." However, before those words are even constructed, that same picture evokes a thousand emotions. Pride, despair, love, hate, happiness, sadness and many other emotions all combine to generate the words every picture "tells". Immediately after viewing this picture, I felt a sense of pride. The same pride Iman (right) so effortlessly displays. Iman's role in this cover is of my particular interests; so poised, so graceful. She is displaying her true identity, being an African woman. So often we see the women of Africa shown in a terrible light. They are portrayed as uneducated, poverty-stricken, primitive individuals. We don't often see women of Africa in such a regal light. This cover takes our old ways of thinking and completely flips them around. With Alicia Keys (left), onlooking with a loving eye it is impossible not to feel a certain way about this picture. It almost looks as if Alicia is reassuring Iman that her part in this photo is to change our views of the women of Africa. That what Iman is doing is not in vain. Could this have been Vanity Fair's objective? If one picture such as this can be distributed worldwide by magazines such as Vanity Fair it can definitely affect its viewers and change our minds as well as out hearts.

The Death Of A Titan

The picture above represents the social tensions that exist in many African countries that occur in other places. Though the different reactions to the death of Eugene Terreblanche this picture gives an image of an Africa that is not dull. The people there go through problems that are familiar to many of us; there is racial tension, and there are different responses to these problems. This image shows how a single person can show the division that underlies in a society that appears to be peaceful and harmonious. The picture takes in the same space two opposite reactions to his death. There is hate and indifference as well as love represented side by side, all surrounded by violence.

Eugene Terreblanche, whose nickname was “the white supremacist”, was a political figure of South Africa that has always fought for segregation and dominance of the white minority over the rest of the population, mainly black. He was the founder and leader of the AWB, a political group that defended the apartheid regime and the creation of a new white-only country, the Independent Boer State. He and this group objected not only to black people, but also to Colored people (mixed races) and South Africans of Indian, English, Asian or Arabic descent. Terreblanche was killed by two of his farm workers because of unpaid wages. He was found dead in his farm, with his body half-naked and sexually molested. Another explanation to his nudity is that he sexually abused one of the murderers before he died, which was never proved. But what would one expect from a life and death surrounded by so much violence?

For many people his death was a breath of fresh air for a united South Africa. For them, his death represented the fall of yet another barrier to a more equal society. And, because his death and life were so twisted in violence and hate, there could have been be a violent reaction, even though showing happiness to his death. His farm, family, and many parts of the city he lived in had to be guarded by the military and police for fear of vandalism, violent protests, attacks and confronts between his followers and the opposition.

But, at the same time, contrary to what many outside South Africa would expect, his death was mourned by thousands of people, mainly Afrikaners (Caucasians). Many people found in this man a leader, a true South African, a gentleman. The many flowers and cards put outside his farm by many of his followers represent this affection that they have for this man. And an even bigger sign of adoration came from the over three thousand people that traveled to the small town of Ventersdorp to attend his funeral. The presence of guards around his property also shows his followers’ love for him, in protecting his family, his belongings, and his memory.

Another aspect of this image, even though I think was unintentional is that it shows how people in Africa are similar to western societies. The makeshift memorial outside Terreblanche’s farm is a way of commemorating a remarkable death that is very common in the United States and in Europe. It is just another small reminder that people in Africa are not different from people in the West.

BBC Image of Somalia

"Somalia continued to dominate the headlines with pirates increasing their reach, despite international naval patrols. Fighting for control of Mogadishu intensified between Islamist militia and the UN-backed government, which gained some ground by December."-BBC

The slide show of pictures from BBC, titled Focus on Africa in 2010, was really fun to go through and featured amazing pieces of photography in Africa. The only problem I found with this slide show is that it doesn’t properly represent all of Africa for the entire year of 2010. There are only twelve photos in the slide show and there are fifty three countries in Africa. There is no way this slide show can really capture what has actually occurred all throughout the continent in twelve photos and that is not its purpose. The purpose of the slide show is to show the most general and simple of overviews of the most significant events in the continent in 2010 and it is important that everyone who sees it understands this.

The picture of the Somali soldier in the BBC selection of pictures of Africa in 2010 really stood out to me. The purpose of this photo is to show an image that represents the issue of Somali pirates but this, in turn, portrays a specific image of Somalia that the rest of the world digests.

The issue at hand is the increasing power and reach of the Somali pirates. For the past twenty years, there has been no real functional form of government in Somalia and the region has become dangerous. Right now, the Islamic militant group, Al-Shabab, has power and control over most of the country through support of local warlords and weapon technology and intends to turn Somalia into a purely fundamental Islamic state through strict interpretations and enforcements of sharia law. Al-Shabab is officially loyal to Al-Qaeda, the terrorist network of extremist Muslims lead by Osama Bin Laden. The Somali pirates were generated through reaction to the poverty and lack of government. They are responsible for much of the economy of several regions in Somalia. They are a combination of people who were previously fishermen, militia and technicians who now form militias claiming to be guarding the coast of Somalia. They are employed as mercenaries by warlords and live off whatever they can steal, working solely for the purpose of financial reward.

The picture meant to represent the issue of Somali pirates was probably included in the slide show for 2010 because their impact has not been very significant until recently. Until the attack on the American ship, the Maersk Alabama,and recent attacks on Americans, the global eye has not really paid attention to them.

The picture itself features a man, heavily strapped with weaponry, looking out to sea, a symbol of what has become of Somalia. It represents Somalia as being dangerous and uncontrollable, and in some ways it is, but this is not meant to embody all people of the country. There are people working towards forming an efficient government and creating peace. It must be clear that this photo is not something symbolizing all of Somalia, but it is creating a picture of the recently recognized spread of violence in the area.

Freedom and Vuvuzelas

The caption of this image states, "Football fever overtook the continent in June, With the vuvuzela- South Africa's plastic trumpet- becoming the sound and image that many will remember from the first World Cup to be held in Africa." Vuvuzelas are the symbol for South African football and the reason as to why the 2010 FIFA World Cup was hosted, for the first time, in South Africa. Known to the US as "Stadium Horns," vuvuzelas are used for enthusiasm in community gatherings. This image portrays a sense of freedom and excitement through the use of vuvuzelas, intense color, and open space.

Even though there was much controversy present in Africa at this time, the World Cup was still a time of celebration where individuals could come together to cheer their team to victory. The use of vuvuzelas in this image shows the excitement of the people. The image doesn't focus on the actual people or what they are excited about, but the use of these horns allows the audience to depict the excitement present because of the horns symbol of spirit and intensity. The intense colors put a major focus of the image on the horns, allowing once again the audience to obtain a sense of excitement from the image. This image explains a lot with little detail.

The open space present in the image gives off a feeling of freedom. The image's focus is on the vuvuzelas and the individual's outstretched arms, leaving a lot of open space filled in by blue skies. This lack of clutter shows a freedom aspect. Even though the World Cup itself is filled with huge crowds and much shoving, nothing to this affect is shown in the image. This fact brings up the point again that even in times of chaos, a freedom to be excited is present. The vuvuzelas, intense colors, and open space of this image work together to portray both freedom and excitement even in harsh times present in South Africa.

RECONCILIATION

There is a lot to be said about good versus evil. Ezra is a tragic example of the natural struggle to be self-fulfilling and righteous, especially in a psychologically trapping environment. Not all people are capable of resisting the war mentality. They become blood thirsty and, as we see in child soldiers especially, grow to believe in the cause so strongly that they grow to sacrifice themselves completely; already dead. Ezra partly proves my theory that people are inherently good and only some choose to represent it. Within everyone is the capability of locating and acting on emotions. The sociopathic exceptions still are intellectual and aware of the scale of right and wrong. I was inspired by Ezra and his ability to grow away from the rebel army. The first inclination we witness is his search for his family and reunion with his sister, but the internal battle really began when he met his wife. She provided a valuable perspective on the war, having grown up with radical parents who taught her about the state of the government and the people. She was raised a rebel, fighting to clean the blood money and bring it back to the people. Her story undoubtedly contrasts Ezra's, who was kidnapped and trained young, without preconceptions of the war. In school they discussed what they love about their country and in the army they learn that this country has no justice. They are forcefully trained to be ruthless, passionate, killers who will stop for nothing until the revolution succeeds. Child soldiers are victims of a brutal mental struggle. I think that most of them become toy soldiers, victimized by their fetal inhibitions and easily brainwashed. The line between instinct and societal expectations is drawn very thin for these people, but still... a sixteen year old boy somehow manages to create a choice for himself. The first lesson a kidnapped child receives is that “success is only coming through the barrel of a gun”; a disgustingly violent outlook on life, but one that is all too true in the war ridden society. Still, Ezra chooses family and love over the cause, willing to risk his life to disassociate himself from the PRF. I found that to be a beautiful moment of awakening in the human spirit. Even though his life inevitably falls into shambles by the end and he will live the rest of his life with a very large mental burden, I think that the lesson is valuable.

"may the spirit of everyone who's died in this war forgive me"

I would also like to express one thing that lightweight scared me....

The immediate reaction to this war is naturally to oppose it. The soldiers of the Peoples Revolutionary Front are merciless. They are "evil" and sweep the country destroying towns and killing people when they are told. Peaceful factions see them as the enemy, but behind the mask of murder and pillagery is a very nationalist and arguably righteous motive: to regain the natural resources of Africa for the people. This film unwillingly made me conjure the idea that what the PRF was doing as a whole was righteous. I guess it had something to do with my perception of societies who's judicial method of justice is murder by the barrel. I shed my humanitarian ideology and adopted a more cynical, violent outlook on life. As if the only road to success IS through the barrel of a gun. Later I saw that even within the brotherhood there is corruption. The same men who lead the front to take back the diamonds for everyone are keeping them for themselves! This raised a lot of questions about people and the order of the world. Does righteousness exist?

Ezra, Blank Face

The story of Ezra is a powerful tale about a child taken away and raised under the iron fist of a rebel leader. In Africa, a handful of countries that are dealing with corrupt governments or civil war contain half the number of the world’s child soldiers. As a problem that is out of our hands, as movie watchers we witness the specific story of Ezra, and his experiences.

In the movie, many names and places are left blank: the name of the country, the rebel leader, and most last names as well. This gives the story a sense of anonymity, letting it be an outline and explanation for thousands of stories about children in guerilla groups. The filmmaker makes sure to give enough detail that we relate to Ezra as a real person and not just as a story. If Ezra had been any vaguer it would lose any sense of reality and automatically become a fiction tale in our minds.

Although it’s left unclear, Ezra most likely takes place in Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone is most well known for the blood diamond situation it faces and the recent civil war, which ended in 2001. As portrayed in the movie, many guerrilla groups cut off hands and feet of male and female people alike. Many people automatically assume that the soldiers doing this are heartless or cold-blooded, but in Ezra it shows the brainwashing, sleep deprivation, and amphetamine injections of the children making them zombies and unaware of their actions.

The movie’s cinematography is strategically placed flashbacks that happen during a trial before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The trial is a great present-day place for the movie because it displays the process of recollection of memories and thoughts in contrast to who he really is as a person, post-war. It’s hard to see this kind of reality, and in Ezra the trial is hope for the future and the beginning process of healing.