“Reaching for Dawn” by Elliott Verdier Of the bloody civil war (1989-2003) that decimated Liberia, its population does not speak. No proper memorial has been built, no day is dedicated …
Of the bloody civil war (1989-2003) that decimated Liberia, its population does not speak. No proper memorial has been built, no day is dedicated to commemoration. The country, still held by several protagonists of the carnage, refuses to condemn its perpetrators. This deafening silence, that resonates internationally, denies any possibility of social recognition or collective memory of the massacres, condemning Liberia to an endless feeling of abandonment and drowsy resignation. The trauma carved into the population’s flesh is crystallized in the society’s weak foundations, still imbued with an unsound Americanism, and bleeds onto a new generation with an uncertain future.
Over two years, the photographer aimed to visually encapsulate the Liberian landscape and its people. The new book is accompanied by a series of voice recordings detailing the subjects’ stories.
Over two years, the photographer aimed to visually encapsulate the Liberian landscape and its people. The new book is accompanied by a series of voice recordings detailing the subjects’ stories.
