I have chosen to stay behind the front lines and observe what is happening in these “grey” areas of war, with the aim to share the daily life of the soldiers and those who continue to live in the ruins, despite the reality of their predicament.
It is from this context that emotions and sensations arise, in simple gestures, poses, joyful dances and moments of intimacy. I wanted to make people forget my presence so that only the truth of the struggle and resilience of people remained.
Extract from the layout.
Photos in the book are supported by texts from Allan Kaval, (Journalist for Le Monde Newspaper), Kamran Matin, (Associate professor of International Relations at Sussex University), Carol Mann, (Sociologist and specialist in gender issues and armed conflicts, associate researcher at the University of Paris 8 and director of the Women in War association), Mylène Sauloy, who has documented the conflict in four different parts of Kurdistan, notably since 1998 in Rojava, with films, articles, exhibitions and a soon to be published graphic novel on Kurdish women in war.
Maryam Ashrafi is a social documentary photographer who believes in long-term projects. Her work puts a face on a widely commented war that remains distant and by the West primarily perceived in terms of the number of refugees. Maryam documents the war in her own way, stressing its complexities and the effective construction of a new social model based on equality, with women occupying the same roles as men, contrary to the status quo in their part of the world. That is why, over the years, she has returned to the same places, to show the unique power of people’s resilience and will to live and seek change, and it is her conviction that documenting conflicts and the consequences of war is vital for the provision of evidence and testimony necessary to be seen and known in the future.
“The struggle of the Kurdish people and their fight for freedom and fundamental rights have not come to an end, and therefore this book cannot portray all of their journeys, nor shall I stop documenting what is still to come. Yet I believe, as a witness, I owe it to history and to those I have met for sharing some of these images in this book to show part of their journey to freedom and equality” — Maryam Ashrafi.
Why did I choose Hemeria?
The Hemeria crowdfunding platform is dedicated to photography and allows photographers to self publish and finance the production costs of the books it produces for them. Hemeria guarantees excellence in the reproduction of images while favouring a fair remuneration for the work of photographers who also benefit from visibility in bookstores across France and internationally.
Hemeria also supports me by promoting my work and helps me to get it exhibited in photo festivals aiming to reach a wider audience.
The total budget is 34,000 €. We hope to be able to exceed € 22,000!
About Maryam Ashrafi
Born in Tehran in 1982 during the Iran-Iraq war, Maryam’s passion for sociology led her to focus her interest on social and political issues. After graduating with a BA in Social Documentary Photography from the University of Wales, Newport, UK, she began to explore these issues in different regions, with a particular focus on the situation of Kurds in Kurdistan.
For several years, she has been working on various subjects including refugees in Paris and the mobilization of the Kurdish and Iranian diaspora. Above all, as an independent freelance photographer, she covered the aftermath of the war in Northern Syria and Iraqi Kurdistan, notably in Kobane and Sinjar during numerous visits until 2018. Her work on Kurdistan has been the subject of several collective and solo exhibitions and publications including the Guardian.
Her long-term work on Kurdish issues has also led her to work as a camerawoman for documentaries such as I Am The Revolution (2018) and to direct and shoot her upcoming documentary in Iraq and Syria (To be released in 2021).
Size 21 x 27 cm, portrait
304 pages
300 photos B&W
Case bound book
Removable band
ISBN: 978-2-490952-15-1
Printed in France
Legal deposit: March 2021
hemeria.com
The book will be published in a bilingual version (French & English) for international distribution
In support of French organization reforestAction, for each copy of this book purchased on www.hemeria.com, a tree will be planted.
This project is supported by the Danielle Mitterrand Foundation.
Rewards – Depending of your reward, you will be able to choose one of the following images.
Group A
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- A1
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- A2
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- A3
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- A4
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- A5
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- A6
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- A7
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- A8
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- A9
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- A10
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- A11
GROUPE B
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- B1
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- B2
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- B3
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- B4
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- B5
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- B6
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- B7
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- B8
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- B9
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- B10
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- B11
GROUP C
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- C1
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- C2
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- C4
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- C5
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- C6
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- C7
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- C8
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- C9
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- C10
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- C11
Rewards
€25
A 10x15cm print to be chosen from group A. See photos from Group A at the bottom of the campaign description.
A 10x15cm print to be chosen from group A. See photos from Group A at the bottom of the campaign description.
11 Backers
€59
A copy of the book at a discounted price (59 € instead of 65 €).
A copy of the book at a discounted price (59 € instead of 65 €).
36 Backers
€89
A copy of the book and a 13x18cm print to be chosen from group A. See photos from Group A at the bottom of the campaign description.
A copy of the book and a 13x18cm print to be chosen from group A. See photos from Group A at the bottom of the campaign description.
13 Backers
€118
Two copies of the book.
Two copies of the book.
6 Backers
€159
Two copies of the book and a 20x30 cm print to be chosen from group B. See photos from Group B at the bottom of the campaign description.
Two copies of the book and a 20x30 cm print to be chosen from group B. See photos from Group B at the bottom of the campaign description.
5 Backers
€199
A copy of the book and a 40x60cm print to be chosen from group C. See photos from Group C at the bottom of the campaign description.
A copy of the book and a 40x60cm print to be chosen from group C. See photos from Group C at the bottom of the campaign description.
4 Backers
€258
Two copies of the book and a 40x60cm print to be chosen from group C. See photos from Group C at the bottom of the campaign description.
Two copies of the book and a 40x60cm print to be chosen from group C. See photos from Group C at the bottom of the campaign description.
0 Backers
€295
Five copies of the book.
Five copies of the book.
1 Backers
€499
Your name on the acknowledgement page at the end of the book, the book in two copies and a 60x90cm print to be chosen from group C. See photos from Group C at the bottom of the campaign description.
Your name on the acknowledgement page at the end of the book, the book in two copies and a 60x90cm print to be chosen from group C. See photos from Group C at the bottom of the campaign description.
0 Backers
€590
Ten copies of the book.
Ten copies of the book.
0 Backers
€899
Your name on the acknowledgement page at the end of the book. A copy of the book. A photo print of your choice from the photographs in the book, available after publication of the book. A limited-edition print will be numbered and signed in a 60x90cm format.
Your name on the acknowledgement page at the end of the book. A copy of the book. A photo print of your choice from the photographs in the book, available after publication of the book. A limited-edition print will be numbered and signed in a 60x90cm format.
2 Backers
€1499
Your name on the acknowledgement page at the end of the book. Two copies of the book. A photo print of your choice from the photographs in the book, available after publication of the book. A limited-edition print will be numbered and signed in an 80x120cm format.
Your name on the acknowledgement page at the end of the book. Two copies of the book. A photo print of your choice from the photographs in the book, available after publication of the book. A limited-edition print will be numbered and signed in an 80x120cm format.
1 Backers
| Name | Donate Amount | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Woehl | €89,00 | January 23, 2021 |
| Yolande Finkelsztajn | €10,00 | January 23, 2021 |
| Wendy Lyon | €104,00 | January 23, 2021 |
| Julia Gyselinck | €0,00 | January 23, 2021 |
| Anonymous | €59,00 | January 23, 2021 |
| Anonymous | €59,00 | January 23, 2021 |
| Anonymous | €59,00 | January 23, 2021 |
| Guillaume Brandily | €59,00 | January 23, 2021 |
| JEAN-MARC GUITARD | €59,00 | January 23, 2021 |
| Patrick VASSE | €59,00 | January 23, 2021 |
| Patrick VASSE | €59,00 | January 23, 2021 |
| Shwan Hisamy | €118,00 | January 22, 2021 |
| jean claude camano | €89,00 | January 22, 2021 |
| Anonymous | €59,00 | January 22, 2021 |
| sylvie LEROUX | €94,00 | January 22, 2021 |
| Alan Yorulmaz | €59,00 | January 22, 2021 |
| Éric SAFA FAR | €59,00 | January 22, 2021 |
| François Labande | €59,00 | January 22, 2021 |
| Arash Rod | €59,00 | January 22, 2021 |
| thierry amrein | €118,00 | January 21, 2021 |
| laurence LE CHAU | €35,00 | January 20, 2021 |
| Jacques FIORENTINO | €59,00 | January 20, 2021 |
| Veronique Farbos | €59,00 | January 19, 2021 |
| Zohreh HabibMohammadi | €59,00 | January 14, 2021 |
| Zohreh HabibMohammadi | €159,00 | January 14, 2021 |
| Anonymous | €0,00 | January 13, 2021 |
| Adam Dewey | €59,00 | January 12, 2021 |
| Deborah da Silva | €89,00 | January 11, 2021 |
| Anonymous | €1 001,00 | January 09, 2021 |
| Laurence JANIN | €199,00 | January 09, 2021 |
| JEAN-MARC VIGUIER | €89,00 | January 09, 2021 |
| floriane de lassee | €59,00 | January 09, 2021 |
| Anahita Gouya | €59,00 | January 08, 2021 |
| Jonathan Berthe | €59,00 | January 07, 2021 |
| Belinda Perriman | €133,00 | January 05, 2021 |
| Edmond Pouly | €100,00 | December 29, 2020 |
| Farid Yaker | €25,00 | December 25, 2020 |
| Lana Homeri | €59,00 | December 23, 2020 |
| Rachel et Reza Deghati | €118,00 | December 22, 2020 |
| Pendar Nabipour | €20,00 | December 21, 2020 |
| Sam Shahroodi | €124,00 | December 21, 2020 |
| Ali Maghsodi | €40,00 | December 21, 2020 |
| N G | €30,00 | December 20, 2020 |
| Corinne Morel Darleux | €159,00 | December 19, 2020 |
| Anonymous | €59,00 | December 18, 2020 |
| Anonymous | €159,00 | December 18, 2020 |
| Jérémie Chomette | €199,00 | December 18, 2020 |
| Marine Riguet | €59,00 | December 18, 2020 |
| Geert Stadeus | €104,00 | December 17, 2020 |
| ALESSANDRO ANNUNZIATA | €74,00 | December 17, 2020 |
| Juan Reina | €59,00 | December 16, 2020 |
| Ellen Feldman | €50,00 | December 16, 2020 |
| Valentin Häckl | €74,00 | December 16, 2020 |
| Roshanak . | €59,00 | December 14, 2020 |
| Anonymous | €25,00 | December 13, 2020 |
| Hossein Shafiei | €118,00 | December 13, 2020 |
| Anonymous | €94,00 | December 13, 2020 |
| Nasser Teymourpour | €104,00 | December 13, 2020 |
| Jérémie Chomette | €89,00 | December 13, 2020 |
| Dominique Boukris | €59,00 | December 13, 2020 |
| Anissa Stocks | €25,00 | December 12, 2020 |
| Abbas MILANI | €199,00 | December 12, 2020 |
| Ammar Goli | €40,00 | December 12, 2020 |
| Zilan KOÇ | €159,00 | December 12, 2020 |
| Anonymous | €174,00 | December 12, 2020 |
| Philippe ADDA | €89,00 | December 12, 2020 |
| Nicola Stewart | €25,00 | December 12, 2020 |
| Isabelle Moatti | €59,00 | December 11, 2020 |
| William Hariri | €50,00 | December 10, 2020 |
| Afsaneh Salari | €20,00 | December 10, 2020 |
| Lauren Walsh | €59,00 | December 10, 2020 |
| Natasha Ali | €74,00 | December 10, 2020 |
| Anonymous | €1 499,00 | December 10, 2020 |
| Kay Bhangu | €40,00 | December 10, 2020 |
| Benedetta Argentieri | €74,00 | December 10, 2020 |
| Dilar Dirik | €74,00 | December 10, 2020 |
| ghazal golshiri | €100,00 | December 10, 2020 |
| Sanaz Shifteh | €118,00 | December 09, 2020 |
| Fatemeh Moradi | €94,00 | December 09, 2020 |
| Kawa Almasi | €214,00 | December 09, 2020 |
| Gudrun Wallenböck | €1 000,00 | December 08, 2020 |
| Farzaneh ZIA FATHY | €295,00 | December 07, 2020 |
| Hanna Lepers | €89,00 | December 03, 2020 |
| Anonymous | €59,00 | November 25, 2020 |
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