NEXT TO THE BORDER OF TURKEY, THE PRESENCE OF ITS ARMY, FIGHTING PKK TILL IRAQI KURDISTAN HOMELAND
PKK FIGHTERS LEAVE NO TRACES IN THE MOUNTAINS, LIVING LIKE WOLVES, LIKE GHOSTS, NO ONE SEES THEM
TODAY SADDAM WAS CAUGHT BY AMERICANS, ALL THE VALLEY IS FULL OF JOY & KALACH SOUNDS; THE ARMY FIRE & TANKS, BEHIND THE THE INVISIBLE CURTAIN; ON THE MOUNTAINS, FROM PEAK TO PEAK







SUFI MOSQUE / ARBIL 2003

BETWEEN THE OCCIDENT & THE ORIENT, SUFIS ARE PRAYING, GETTING INTO TRANCE WITH SONGS & SOUNDS OF THE DRUM
THERE IS ONLY ONE GOD, THERE IS ONLY A GOD







ARBIL 2003

IN THE INDUSTRIAL AREA, AMONG ALL THE GARAGE STUFF, A YOUNG TEA-BOY; LAYING WITH CLOTHES ALL SMUDGED BY PETROL; ENGINES & OILY MACHINE-GUNS







BURN YOUR GODS

ELLE EST OÙ TON ARME?
MON VIEUX VOUS AVEZ UNE ARME?
NON, ON A SEULEMENT DES CHARGEURS, L’ARME ON L’A VENDUE POUR RÉPARER LE TOIT
C’EST VIDE TOUT ÇA, ON Y VA..
/
WHERE IS IT, YOUR GUN?
MAN, DO YOU HAVE A GUN?
NO, WE ONLY HAVE BULLETS, THE GUN WE HAVE SOLD TO REPAIR THE ROOF
ITS EMPTY HERE, LETS GO..

NE FILME PAS.. QUE DIEU TE PROTÈGE.. DIS LUI DE NE PAS FILMER
IL EST ALLÉ A SON TRAVAIL, À SON RETOUR ON DORMAIT
ILS L’ONT CAPTURÉ
IL N’A RIEN FAIT
NE T’INQUIÈTES PAS ILS VONT VOUS LE RENDRE
MERCI, MAIS J’AI PEUR..
POURQUOI T’AS PEUR?
CE N’EST PAS DE MA FAUTE C’EST DIEU QUI ME FAIT PEUR
IL NOUS ASSÈCHE LA GORGE POUR RIEN..
/
DONT FILM.. GOD PROTECT YOU.. TELL HIM NOT TO FILM
..HE WENT TO HIS JOB, WHEN HE GOT BACK WE WERE SLEEPING
THEY TOOK HIM
HES DONE NOTHING
DONT WORRY THEYLL GIVE HIM BACK TO YOU
THANK YOU, BUT I AM SO SCARED
WHY ARE YOU SCARED?
ITS NOT MY FAULT, ITS GOD THAT MAKES ME SCARED
HE DRIES OUT OUR THROATS FOR NOTHING AT ALL

OUI JE SUIS PRÊT..
SANS AUCUNE PEUR
ET VOUS, VOUS AVEZ PEUR?
OUAIS..
TU SAIS CELUI QUI PORTE CET UNIFORME C’EST COMME SI IL PORTAIT UN LINCEUL
QU’ILS NOUS MÈNENT OÙ ILS VEULENT MAIS ON VEUT ÊTRE PAYÉ CORRECTEMENT..
MOI J’AI PEUR
MOI, J’AI PEUR..
MOI J’AI PAS PEUR, JE SUIS PRÊT A ME SACRIFIER JUSQU’À LA DERNIÈRE GOUTTE DE MON SANG POUR LE KURDISTAN!
MAIS MON SALAIRE N’EST PAS SUFFISANT..
/
YES IM READY..
NO FEAR AT ALL
& YOU, ARE YOU SCARED?
YEAH..
YOU KNOW, THE ONE WHO WEARS THIS UNIFORM ITS LIKE HES ALREADY IN SHROUD
THEY CAN TAKE US WHEREVER THEY WANT BUT WE WANT TO BE PAID CORRECTLY..
IM SCARED
IM SCARED..
& ME, IM NOT SCARED, IM READY TO SACRIFICE MYSELF UNTIL THE LAST DROP OF BLOOD FOR KURDISTAN!
BUT MY SALARY IS NOT SUFFICIENT..

CA FAIT DEUX MOIS QUE JE SUIS AVEC VOUS..
C’EST PAS GRAVE DEUX MOIS DEUX JOURS C’EST PAREIL
IL FAUT DIRE DU BIEN SUR SON RÉGIMENT
T’AS RAISON
IL Y A UN PROVERBE ARABE QUI DIT CELUI QUI NIQUE NOTRE MÈRE DEVIENT NOTRE PÈRE
J’AI RAISON?
OUI, TU AS RAISON..
MAINTENANT T’ES LE FILS DE CE RÉGIMENT, C’EST LUI QUI TE PAYE ET C’EST LUI TON PÈRE
/
ITS NOW 2 MONTHS THAT I AM WITH YOU
DOESNT MEAN ANYTHING, 2 TWO DAYS OR 2 MONTHS, ITS THE SAME
YOU HAVE TO SPEAK GOOD OF YOUR REGIMENT
YOURE RIGHT
THERES ONE ARABIC PROVERB THAT SAYS THE ONE WHO FUCKS YOUR MOTHER IS THE ONE WHO BECOMES YOUR FATHER
AM I RIGHT?
YES YOU ARE RIGHT..
NOW, YOU ARE THE SON OF THIS REGIMENT, IT PAYS YOU & IT IS YOUR FATHER







ROAD TO AKRA 2003

FATHER CALLS HIS SHEPHERD SONS







FORMER SADDAM HUSSEIN HQ / ROAD TO KIRKUK 2003

THE AREA WAS A NO MANS LAND BETWEEN ARABS & KURDISH FROM 1991 TO 2003; THE ONES WHO LIVED HERE WERE DISPLACED OR KILLED BY SADDAMS REGIME
IT BECAME THE FRONT LINE IN 2003 WHEN USA ARRIVED TO ‘DELIVER’ IRAQ; THE IRAQI DEFENCE SO WEAK, SOLDIERS NEARLY RUNNING AWAY WITH THE FIRST BOMBING
TODAY, RUINED & LAND-MINED, IT IS BEING REPOPULATED BY KURDS
ALL THOSE YEARS OF FIGHTING FOR NOTHING
YESTERDAY HERE A BORDER
TODAY SOMEWHERE ELSE







PHOTOGRAPHS OF IRAQ BY EDOUARD BEAU
KURDISH-IRAQI SOLDIERS CONVERSATIONS (RECORDED AS EDOUARD WAS SHOOTING HIS SERIES ‘IN TIGERS BODY’ IN MOSUL, FORMER NINEVEH) TRANSLATED INTO FRENCH BY BAKHTIAYR ABDULLAH HADAD / FRENCH VERSION EDITING & ENGLISH TRANSLATION BY MONIKA / FOOTNOTES ABOUT THE STORIES OF THE PLACES BY EDOUARD & MONIKA
ARTICLE BY MONIKA BIELSKYTE