Photo: @rezaphotography // Breakers of Empires // #Afghanistan One’s memory can undoubtedly conjure up many images of the magical, mysterious world which the storytellers of the Orient reveal, such as the legendary Scheherazade of the Arabian Nights. It was just that Orient that I was lucky enough to encounter as I entered Afghanistan in 1983. The countryside and the peoples who lived there seemed untouched by the passage of the centuries, industrialization and foreign influences. One was constantly reminded of the immutable integrity and pride of the Afghani people. I remember the desperation of an old man who showed me his home, razed to the ground by aerial bombing, and declared in a voice laden with sobs: “A fiery bird came and destroyed my home.” Moreover, as modest and ill-equipped as it was at the time, the Afghan resistance was unrivaled in its determination. After sharing the lives of these men over several months, I understood that they would indeed end up bending and then breaking the Russian troops, as their ancestors had done with other occupying armies. I came to Afghanistan after having fallen victim to Israeli phosphorus bombs while covering the war in Lebanon. Two months of intensive care in a Paris hospital did not suffice to heal me. The doctor recommended the pure mountain air. I had a choice between the tranquil Alps, or the Afghan mountains, which I did not then know. Against all expectation, I chose the second destination. It was thus that an ineffable link began to form between myself and this country. Like Ariadne’s thread, it leads me still, after twenty-five years, running through the labyrinth of my nomadic life. Published in "War + Peace" (National Geographic Publishing, 2007), "Reza, entre guerre et paix" (National Geographic Publishing, 2008), "Massoud, des Russes aux Talibans, 20 ans de résistance afghane" (Editions 1 publishing, 2001) and "Destins Croisés" (Hors Collection Publishing in 2002). #russianinvasion #afghanwar #afghanwarrior #whitebeard #man #oldman #binoculars #look #turban #afghan #war #vision #afghanman#resistance #fight #photooftheday #photojournalism #reza #rezadeghati #rezaphotography #webistan #رضادقتى #عكاس

thephotosocietyさん(@thephotosociety)が投稿した動画 - 2016/05/29 05:57:37