Iraq 2006- 2010
‘The media always presents Iraq and Iraqis as tragic. I wanted to report the untouched Iraq and show moment of happiness and dignity beyond the ongoing chaos. The series Iraq Is Flying started this way ‘ he explains.
The series depicts Iraqi people jumping in front of the camera on the streets of Iraq’s major cities. Those jumping are normal people who the photographer met on the streets of Baghdad, Fallujah and Kirkuk. Children and adults, soldiers – both American and Iraqi – return briefly to their childhoods as they jump as high as they can in front of Jamal’s camera. A bittersweet scene is offered to the viewer – the energy of hope within the context of destruction.
‘I remember that when I was a child, we played the simplest games – we would just jump as high as we could! It was a favourite game of mine and my friends. In 2006 I found in my archives a picture where three kids were jumping for a farewell party. I took the picture while I was still living in my village. I decided to snap similar jumps in the streets of Sulaimaniyah, Baghdad, Babel, Fallujah, Kikuk and Ammara. I wanted to give Iraq’s energetic people a chance to regain their dignity, to let them jump beyond the setting of their lives. I wanted the people to fly,’ Jamal concludes.
The memories from our childhood still exist, or in another expression, we still carry a bit of the child inside us. Jumping was my dream when I was a child. I wanted to fly high to watch my house and the road from the sky and to see the entire city where I was born. It never happened! I had no chance to have a flight by airplane even once in my childhood.
Now I can see my city and even all of Iraq from the tiny window of the airplane, but everything looks different. When I was a child, I used to jump with my friends for joy and happiness, I only dreamt of watching my place from height for no reason. But now! We are flying in a big competition and we all have forgotten the beauty of the games we had in childhood.
Thanks so much my friend....
Thanks so much my friend....
really love love these, what
really love love these, what a great idea, love the whimsical theme, btw saw these first in SAW
many thanx........
many thanx........
The image of the man on
The image of the man on crutches jumping is really uplifting from this area of the World. Well done Jamal.
This is a terrific, original,
This is a terrific, original, quirky and uplifting story - you are very talented Jamal!
Very nice story: a great way
Very nice story: a great way of portraying Iraq and its people today. Thank you for sharing these great shots.