BLACK HORSE CAMP : AFGHANS IN EXILE
Photography by Matthieu Alexandre
Afghans in Exile
I read Kessel, I dreamed of Afghanistan for years. I finally went there and crossed the Hazaradjat mountains on horseback and flew over the Hindukush. I was there in the spring of 2003 to report for the NGOs Médecins du Monde and Secours Catholique. There are some reportages and trips that mark a life more than others, and my stay in Afghanistan is one of them.
The children I photographed yesterday in Afghanistan are the young people who are arriving in France today and fleeing the Taliban.
(Pantin, France) spring 2022. "I was there..." at the "Black Horse" camp, named after the hotel that overlooks it, alongside these young exiles, in keeping with my humanist commitment that has always guided my photographic approach.
Dozens, then hundreds of young Afghans settled at the beginning of the year on a piece of land in the middle of the city, 6 km east of Paris, from which they had been expelled. They are there, not far from my home, as I am used to going there. So, "I will be there...". At the beginning, I didn't want to show the raw, brutal misery that is too often and easily exposed. I wanted something else, luminous photos, looks, gestures, to show their hope. I thus favoured the enthusiasm generated by the encounter, the human warmth, in particular during the French classes organised by a citizen's group. Because these young people are not just passing through: they want to study, work, integrate, quickly. They are thirsty for exchanges, they want to learn, they want to understand. I wanted photos that testify to a humanism that is still alive, still alive, thanks to a citizen's mobilisation for migrants. Finally, photos that put the Afghans in the spotlight, that give them back their share of humanity and dignity.
(11 May 2022) After 104 days, a sheltering operation was carried out by the Prefecture of Police. The Afghans, along with dozens of other nationalities, were taken to Limoges, Caen, Nantes, Angers and Tours. The camp is closed. I didn't want to photograph them through the gates like strangers, with a telephoto lens that would put a distance that had never existed. I joined the Pantin Solidaire collective and the other associations present, to photograph from the inside, alongside these young exiles full of hope. I placed myself from their angle of view, I tried to borrow their looks, I tried to be as close as possible to what they were experiencing.
By focusing on the French classes and the shelter, I wanted to show the desire to integrate and the faith in the promise of a better future.
The title "I'll be there" was inspired by Tom Joad's speech in Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath, filmed by John Ford.
In the surge of solidarity towards the Ukrainians, we must not forget the other victims of war. Supporting the Afghans, in addition to doing one's duty as a human being, is fighting against obscurantism.
(21 March 2023) The Afghan community celebrates New Year's Eve in a room at Relais Solidaire lent by the owner in Pantin. Volunteers and friends from Pantin financed the meal offered and shared for the occasion with the Afghans.
(18 December 2023) The Pantin Solidaire association regularly organises take-away sales for the people of Pantin. This generates a small income for Afghans who offer to cook. On Christmas Eve, the take-away food sale, which is usually prepared in the volunteers' apartment, is organized in a BioCoop and a meal shared between Afghans and Pantinois is offered on site to those who wish to do so. A way to share.
(10 April 2024) To celebrate Eid-el-Kebir, volunteers from Pantin Solidaire and Afghans are preparing a meal together that will be shared during the evening with the inhabitants of Pantin.
All photographs copyrighted © Matthieu Alexandre / Through The Eye