The new installment of the documentary series The Story Behind the Photo brings the story of the work and life of Bosnian-Herzegovinian (BiH) photographer Rikard Larma, whose photographs became a testimony to the siege of Sarajevo.
Dzemil Hodzic, the man behind the Sniper Alley Photo project, said that this is the eleventh episode in the series.
“Currently, we are working on four more films that will be part of the third season. Each episode is unique in its own way, but also similar in its approach to filming the photography profession. This time with us is BiH photojournalist Rikard Larma, who shares with us memories from the siege of Sarajevo but also details from his private life,” he says.
Larma is a BiH photographer whose work remains a lasting testimony to the suffering of Sarajevo during the siege. He was born in BiH and lives and works between the United States (U.S.) and BiH. His extensive professional experience covers a wide range of activities, from current news, magazines, theater, film, television, sports photography, to documentary photography from Sarajevo under siege.
“My first massacre was when I saw a shell hit the wall of a building; a person doesn’t know how to react. There was a huge cloud of smoke. I went into that smoke, and there were security people evacuating and preparing the wounded to be taken to Kosevo Hospital. Two people were dead on the spot and remained there. That was the first time I didn’t know where I was, I was lost, I didn’t know about myself. From the Presidency building, which had been hit, I ended up near the Eternal Flame. I asked myself: ‘What next? I filmed something, and someone has to see it,” he says in his emotional statement.
It is precisely these testimonies in the series The Story Behind the Photo that bring important facts about the siege of Sarajevo and, more generally, about the aggression on BiH.
“We talk about the consequences of the war, but also show the extent of the scars and the surviving pain of journalists, cameramen, and photographers who reported for media houses. In this episode, the war trauma that is still present even after so many years can be seen and felt. In this way, we try to show how truly noble the journalistic profession was, both then and now, when we can follow reporting around the world and see its contribution. The sacrifice of media workers is enormous so that the truth could be available to us,” emphasizes the project’s author.
He also added that the entire series and video production would not have been possible without the support and help of certain people and institutions.
“I take this opportunity to thank the company Domod for their financial support. I also thank the Sarajevo Memorial Center for their support and partnership. To the staff of MESS and the Memory Module, especially Nihad Kresevljakovic and Hana Bajrovic.”
