To show how photography can play an integral role in fostering systemic change, FSC is partnering with photographer Ron Haviv and author/academic Lauren Walsh on Biography of a Photo, a feature length documentary film that traces the life stories of two iconic images taken by Haviv—one taken in Panama (1989), the other in Bosnia (1992)—that have led extraordinary existences.

Charting the history of each image, from its initial dissemination in journalism, to its reappearances (as artwork, as propaganda, in cultural kitsch, in social media, at international war crimes trials) as well as its institutionalized disappearances (from history books, from school systems, from codified public memory), Biography of a Photo explores the photos’ changing meanings over time for the broad populations in Panama and Bosnia. Both images have had enormous regional impact. And despite official attempts at suppression, both are among the most widely known images in Latin America and the Balkans, respectively.  See trailer here. 

For each image, the film follows a specific character who was intimately affected by the events of the day the photo was taken: the brother of the bodyguard who died defending Vice President Guillermo Ford, and the daughter of one of the civilians killed by Serbian paramilitary. Both are using the photo currently to obtain justice for their murdered relative and both demonstrate that the photos’ biographies continue to be written in the present day.  

This film is about the value of journalistic output and examining the afterlives of news images that have been powerful enough to make or break justice and to define the course of history, thereby demonstrating the potential power of photography in promoting and protecting sustainable positive change.

In pursuit of systemic change perpetuated by these photos and depicted in the film, Haviv and Walsh will partner with organizations that build educational material both in the US and in the regions of the world where this film focuses: Latin America and the Balkans.  Major cultural and educational institutes in both Bosnia and Panama have committed to help with moving this film and its important topics to local and regional audiences. Educational materials – for students and rising professionals alike—will emphasize topics such as: media and visual literacy, journalism and activism, journalistic intent and integrity, and the role of journalism in a democracy.

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