Darkroom on wheels: How photography is helping displaced children heal
It's easy to get caught up in the gear side of things with photography, but at its core, regardless of equipment, the medium can be a powerful tool for finding healing, hope and joy. Emmy-nominated filmmaker and photojournalist Ilie Mitaru explores this theme in his recent documentary, First Frames. The documentary follows photographer Serbest Salih and his mobile darkroom project, Fotohane Darkroom. With his darkroom, Salih teaches analog photography to children in displaced and overlooked communities across Turkey. These children face significant challenges, including limited access to education and displacement due to the devastating twin earthquakes that struck Turkey on February 6, 2023. Mitaru specifically didn't portray them as victims, however, instead showing how they are fully complex human beings with agency over how they respond to their situation. Salih is a refugee himself, coming to Turkey in 2014 when ISIS attacked Syria. Despite knowing multiple languages, he found photography to be a crucial communication tool. "Photography was like its own language, a universal language," Salih explains. "Analog photography is like a form of therapy. And little by little, I felt it helping me, healing me." Sample galleryThis widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Click here to open it in a new browser window / tab. A selection of behind-the-scenes images and stills from the documentary. Photos provided by Ilie Mitaru. While the documentary highlights Salih and his teaching, it is primarily about the children and unfolds from their perspective. The film even includes video clips taken by the children, giving them some control over the narrative. "Children show us the world,” Salih says during the film. "We just have to provide them with the tools, and they show us." The children featured share their experiences, explaining why they are taking photos and how learning photography has impacted their lives. "I love the feeling I get when I'm taking pictures. I clear my mind and focus on the one thing I'm supposed to do," 11-year-old Yusuf Emir says. "Art helps us see the world from different perspectives. It offers comfort. That's why taking pictures contributes so much to our lives." Those are wise words from an 11-year-old and a worthy reminder of how powerful photography can be. You can read more about the project at WePresent and see more of Mitaru's work on his website.
It's easy to get caught up in the gear side of things with photography, but at its core, regardless of equipment, the medium can be a powerful tool for finding healing, hope and joy. Emmy-nominated filmmaker and photojournalist Ilie Mitaru explores this theme in his recent documentary, First Frames.
The documentary follows photographer Serbest Salih and his mobile darkroom project, Fotohane Darkroom. With his darkroom, Salih teaches analog photography to children in displaced and overlooked communities across Turkey. These children face significant challenges, including limited access to education and displacement due to the devastating twin earthquakes that struck Turkey on February 6, 2023. Mitaru specifically didn't portray them as victims, however, instead showing how they are fully complex human beings with agency over how they respond to their situation.
Salih is a refugee himself, coming to Turkey in 2014 when ISIS attacked Syria. Despite knowing multiple languages, he found photography to be a crucial communication tool. "Photography was like its own language, a universal language," Salih explains. "Analog photography is like a form of therapy. And little by little, I felt it helping me, healing me."
While the documentary highlights Salih and his teaching, it is primarily about the children and unfolds from their perspective. The film even includes video clips taken by the children, giving them some control over the narrative. "Children show us the world,” Salih says during the film. "We just have to provide them with the tools, and they show us."
The children featured share their experiences, explaining why they are taking photos and how learning photography has impacted their lives. "I love the feeling I get when I'm taking pictures. I clear my mind and focus on the one thing I'm supposed to do," 11-year-old Yusuf Emir says. "Art helps us see the world from different perspectives. It offers comfort. That's why taking pictures contributes so much to our lives." Those are wise words from an 11-year-old and a worthy reminder of how powerful photography can be.
You can read more about the project at WePresent and see more of Mitaru's work on his website.
