Beauty of Burma and beyond

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE

KATHMANDU: Burma came alive for 15 minutes through the lens of photographer Philip Blenkinsop at Bakery Cafe, Sundhara on November 24. The black and white images, by the awardee of Amnesty International's Photojournalism Prize for Excellence in Human Rights Journalism, showcased his encounter with the country.

Powerful photographs of Burma — young soldier with a gun or a marching army of soldiers with guns to daily lives of people on the streets — were presented showcasing the transition in people's lives.

"In the last couple of years I have done two or three trips to Burma photographing. And it has been a real joy for me," he shared at the photo.circle's event talking to the photography enthusiasts.

The English-born Australian-raised photographer arrived in Asia in 1989. "With very little money, I used to pack six or 10 rolls of film, head off, hitchhike and go to places. And I reached Burma was when I was in Thailand. Burma is one of the places where I have spent lots of time."

The images shown at the event included Blenkinsop's street repertoires and pieces from conflict areas of Burma. Most photographs in this very personal collection were shot during his travels to Burma spanning from 1989 to 2013.

Burma had one of the extensive blacklists for foreign journalists. And he was one of the 450 people on the blacklist whose names were removed two years ago. He had had been trying to go back since 2000 but was denied visa.

Going back to Burma after some 15 years, he feels, "There is more freedom. People are more engaged, they talk and there is not that same fear. There is no same sense of sword hanging over people."

But he is not really into documenting the political side. He was in Burma because "I have been very motivated about telling people's story, giving them voice."

And he is far more interested in travelling through Burma where people are still holding their culture and are yet to experience the cultural change. That is the beauty of Burma for him where people are still unaffected by invasion of foreign culture, though he feels it will change in the years to come. And he wants to experience the beauty before it is gone and show it in his works.

But why does he want to experience beauty? "I have seen enough horror and suffering in my life. I would like to experience little bit of that beauty because we are on a crash course for disasters. The whole world is about doing things faster and technology allows us to do million things in one day. When natural fact, we would be better off slowing down and doing one beautiful thing well and enjoying it and we have lost the essence of life," he explained.

Icing to the cake was award-winning filmmaker and photographer Pep Bonet who presented his touching photo essay — Faith in Chaos — on the aftermath of the war in Sierra Leone along with other works at the event.

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