Screenshot from the NY Times article.
Sebastião Salgado’s photography is a powerful body of work. Salgado’s aesthetic, the way in which he captures the dignity of his subjects, and the narrative he creates with his photographs have always been incredibly moving to me.
When I saw the first trailer for the “The Salt of the Earth”, a documentary on Salgado and his Genesis project (and other works), I couldn’t wait to see it. His compassion and understanding of the human condition, and his ability to tell the story of the fragile ecosystem on earth, is captured beautifully in his photographs.
His son Juliano Ribeiro Salgado and fellow photographer Wim Wenders directed the documentary, which has garnered critical acclaim and awards like ‘Un Certain Regard’ at Cannes, and Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma ‘César Award’ for Best Documentary.
The New York Times sat down with Sebastião Salgado and asked him about the movie and his work. The Times does an amazing job capturing Salgado at his finest; when he is talking about his passion — photography.
This question exchange between Larry Rohter and Salgado particularly stuck with me.
“Q: You’re always described as a “social photographer.” Do you agree with that assessment?
A: It’s limiting. Listen, I am not a social photographer. I am not an economic photographer. I’m not a photojournalist. Photography is much more than that. Photography is my life. It’s my way of life, and my language. I went to photograph the things that I had a great curiosity to see and to organize. I felt a certain revulsion, and a compulsion to show that others also have dignity, that dignity is not an exclusive property of the rich countries of the north but exists all over the planet. That’s what photography was for me, my language, my life and my way of going about and doing things.”
The Salt of the Earth premieres Friday, March 27, in New York and Los Angeles. Hopefully I will be able to see and provide you with an in-depth review.
To read more about Sebastião Salgado, click here.
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