honorable mention
Lee-Marie Sadek france
title
Les sans-papiers
For the philosopher Jacques Derrida : “The “illegal immigrants" are not illegitimate (...) Most of them work and live, they have lived and worked in broad daylight during years (...) It is the injustice of the governmental repression towards them that often creates an illicit situation through where it is not.”
My work is divided between fine arts photography and documentary. I consider photography to be a personal expression but also a reflexion. My images are about concepts that question not only the subject (what is seen) but the photographer himself through his work and the medium that is used to produce such concepts.
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entry description
The gathering of people who demand their rights to live and work in France. The so-called : “les sans-papiers” (without papers) were camping at the Bastille plaza during june 2010 and were after their regulation. Their slogan was : “we work here ! we live here ! we stay here !”. By this story i tried to capture their looks and attitudes that were reflecting alternately : depression and hope, desperation and celebration, deception and motivation. I found all these opposed expressions on their faces, in their behavior and through their dance, keeping their spirits high and fighting for their future against any expulsion.For the philosopher Jacques Derrida : “The “illegal immigrants" are not illegitimate (...) Most of them work and live, they have lived and worked in broad daylight during years (...) It is the injustice of the governmental repression towards them that often creates an illicit situation through where it is not.”
about the photographer
I was born in Beirut - Lebanon in 1977. I wanted to be a graphic designer in the purpose to design CD booklets and posters. In 1995 i went to Brussels for two years to study Typography and Graphic Design at La Cambre (school of visual arts in Brussels). After it, i returned to my country and had my degree in Mass Media - Publicity at the Lebanese University. In 2001 i moved to France where i live now, and had my master degree in Communication-Publicity. Then i dropped all my publicity studies out of interest, but the passion to produce an image was still a need inside me, so i turned naturally into photography. In 2012 i had my degree in Fine Arts - Photography at the University of Paris 8.My work is divided between fine arts photography and documentary. I consider photography to be a personal expression but also a reflexion. My images are about concepts that question not only the subject (what is seen) but the photographer himself through his work and the medium that is used to produce such concepts.
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