war

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Doctored Photos of War . . . Are the Wrong?

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“In 2007, Errol Morris wrote a three-part series for the NY Times about a pair of photos taken by Roger Fenton of the Crimean War in 1855. Taken from the same position on the same day, one of the photographs shows cannonballs scattered on a road while in the other photo, the road is clear of cannonballs. Which one, Morris wondered, was taken first and why?” (via).

Although he can never answer why they were moved, he does conclude which one was taken first.

This doctoring of a photo reminds me of another famous photo (this was doctored by the Soviet Union) that was recently discovered as fraud. Both have been manipulated for very specific reasons, and both - in their altered version - caused quite a stir.

What’s interesting to me is although both are altered, only one seems to be morally wrong. The Soviet picture was manipulated to save ridicule and produce and makes the Soviets seem better than they are. Which is wrong.

This one, however, is making the situation worse for the purpose of drawing more people into the harshness of the war, so they’re more sympathetic, more involved. And that, to me at least, is an entirely different motive and one that can be argued. Do the ends justify the means? Sometimes.

And perhaps this is one of those times.

For more on . . .

-N- Stuff  :  Short Films:  Documentaries 

Poilus: A short film about any one of us

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The “Poilus” - infantry soldiers in the French army, especially during WWI - are waiting to leave for the battlefield. Among them, Ferdinand, a young hare, is playing the harmonica. A signal is given, the attack begins. It’s on the no man’s land that he first encounters his enemy, a horrible creature.

This short film is intriguing. Why the juxtaposition of the car in the opening scene and the tank? Is it humanity and war? 

The harmonica, like Ivan Denisovich's clean spoon, is his clinging to humanity. And when he killed the soldier wearing a different color, he killed himself - metaphorically. 

But also literally. Playing in the open battlefield was, essentially, suicide. All the soldiers heard him - and one might argue, were inspired by him - but then a shot rang out. Before the whistle.

But who shot him? 

The soldier clenching his fist is in blue, just Ferdinand. Did his own commander kill him? The one who ripped his little bit of humanity left and stomped it in the dirt? Or was it the enemy?

And who is the enemy? 

Using bunnies is brilliant because any association we have with them is kind and fluffy and a perfect gift for any child of any age because they're harmless! Bunnies don't fight wars. Bunnies don't kill - our enemies do. 

Once humans are taken out of the film, everyone can be anyone, which, I think, is the point.

The line between them and us is instantly blurred. All the bunnies look the same, act the same, and twitch the same. Suddenly, any one of us can be any one of them. And anyone of us can choose to play the harmonica, or pull the trigger. 

 

For more on . . .

-N- Stuff  :  WWII Vets - Former Enemies, Now Friends  :  Humanity

 

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Syrian Artist Creates Sculptures From Remnants of War

Abu Ali al-Bitar, a 45-year-old house painter who collected dozens of rocket debris and spent ammunition casings, flattens bread dough using a leftover rocket in the rebel-held town of Douma, on the eastern outskirts of the Syrian capital Damascus, on April 20, 2017. Eastern Ghouta, a besieged opposition stronghold east of Damascus, has been battered by regime air strikes and shelling since Syria's conflict erupted in 2011. Since then, children have grown accustomed to warnings not to play outside -- but the grown-ups are finding creative ways to make sure kids can still have fun (via).

In spite of pain, like a clawing and kicking against the dark, art and beauty and the human spirit survive. Perhaps even thrives, because we're made for it. Not to kill and break and destroy, but to create and cultivate. To rise above, and for holding flowers.

 

For more on . . .

-N- Stuff  : On Living  :  Real People  :  Humanity

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