photos & text by Federica Borgato

Attraversare il ponte, scendere lungo la strada, superare l’ingresso di ciottoli per poi giungere così al campo: immergersi.
Uomini, donne e bambini di ogni età, persone abituate a peregrinare, per poi giungere fino a qui, in questo microcosmo, nel tentativo di aprire un nuovo paragrafo alla loro vita.
Case fatte di teli, materassi, roulotte, tutto accatastato senza una logica se non quella di avere finalmente una casa, solida, salda, un’inamovibile punto di orgoglio per loro e per le famiglie lontane.
Un inizio.

FMPQ (Il futuro del mondo passa da qui – City Veins è un osservatorio spontaneo e permanente che coinvolge filmakers, fotografi, scrittori, illustratori, semplici cittadini, persone che si sono interessate al luogo e alle persone e hanno idee o iniziative che riguardano la vita delle persone e dell’area

Siamo a Torino, nel Nord-Ovest d’Italia, a meno di 5 km dal centro cittadino, in un punto di confluenza di acque fluviali. Un’area che oltre a una serie di orti urbani comprende due zone che sono state e sono oggetto di grande attenzione, “Tossic Park” e “gli accampamenti di Lungo Stura Lazio”. Per quasi un secolo quest’area di periferia, a due passi dall’imbocco dell’autostrada per Milano, è stato il retro della città industriale, una zona fuori controllo, facilmente adibita a discarica abusiva. Olii esausti e rifiuti tossici hanno avvelenato il terreno e contaminato le acque. I resti di quelle industrie e i rifiuti abbandonati nel tempo da ignoti sono parzialmente ricoperti dalla vegetazione. Nel mezzo di questa landa dimenticata la natura conserva il suo corso.

Qui, sulle sue sponde, fra la vegetazione incolta, la natura ha inaspettatamente ricreato un’oasi di rifugio per numerose e insolite specie di volatili come l’Airone cinerino.

Qui alcuni immigrati dal Sud Italia negli anni Cinquanta e Sessanta hanno colonizzato le rive creando coltivazioni di ogni genere, e in mezzo agli orti hanno costruito piccole casette per passare il fine settimana.

Qui intorno al 2005 si è formato il più grande mercato di droga a cielo aperto d’Italia, e si è creata una situazione fuori controllo, che ha portato nell’agosto 2008 all’intervento massiccio delle forze dell’ordine e della Brigata Taurinense, una delle Grandi Unità dell’Esercito Italiano.

Qui, sulla sponda opposta trovano rifugio centinaia di nomadi, migranti, profughi, genti provenienti dall’Est Europa. Costruiscono baracche di lamiere e cartone, improvvisano tende con sacchi di plastica e abitazioni con pareti di fango. Arrivano qui di passaggio o per restare, per nascondersi o ripartire, tutti in cerca di soldi e fortuna.

Qui, lontano da sguardi indiscreti, giunge a destinazione e si sistema chi ha perso il lavoro o la casa.

Ai bordi di questa waste land passano le arterie che portano fuori città verso il Nord-Est del paese.

Da qui passerà la seconda linea della nuova metropolitana cittadina ed entro pochi anni, secondo i progetti, sopra queste rive sfrecceranno i treni ad alta velocità che collegheranno la Città all’Europa. Bonifica, riqualificazione, cambiamento. A un certo punto, nel 2007, è stato presentato un protocollo di intesa con la città di Torino per realizzare nella zona un campo da golf pubblico a nove buche.

Oggi, ogni tanto capita che all’orizzonte appaia una solitaria ruspa arancione. Scava, sposta cumuli di terra, poi sparisce. Può capitare di vedere spuntare dalla vegetazione incolta uomini dotati di strumenti e apparecchiature di ricerca. Rilevano il terreno, campionano le acque, prelevano larve di insetti. Analizzano la qualità dell’aria e dell’acqua.

www.fmpq.it

Federica Borgato nasce nel 1987 a Savigliano (Cn). Si diploma in Fotografia allo IED di Torino nel 2010 con una tesi sulla condizione femminile sulle donne del Togo; si interessa alla ritrattistica, alla fotografia di reportage e alle nuove tecnologie di ripresa e montaggio video. Al momento lavora come fotografa freelance dividendo il proprio tempo e lavoro tra l’Italia e il Brasile.

Giulia Piccari is an italian photographer based in NYC since March 2007.
Graduated in photography in London and in Rome and in 2003 she won a photo-competition by Kodak.
She has been working for fashion shows, concerts and movie sets.In 2011 she had her fist solo exhibition in NYC called ON_MY_WAY.

This is a series of photos around the roads of the United States.

Eight years ago Tom Hurndall, the young British photojournalist and peace activist was shot in Rafah, Gaza whilst carrying Palestinian children to safety. Trolley published recently a book containing Tom’s photographs, personal writings, poems and observations as a way of commemorating the value of his life and his work. The book is entitled “The only house left standing“.

Photos: Petra Fantozzi

Photos by Pascal Fellonneau

We are now in the middle of the French presidential campaign and photographer Pascal Fellonneau decided to capture its spirit by photographing the posters around the city of Paris.

“There are candidate posters slowly appearing here and there torn down almost immediately by their political ennemies. I decided to shoot systematically all the interesting posters I go through to make a series out of it.”

Pascal Fellonneau is a French photographer exploring the landscapes of Europe from Iceland
to Spain, from his hometown Bordeaux to Paris where he now lives. An important part of his
work questions the urban scene as we inhabit it. His pictures depict strange yet familiar
landscapes often devoid of humanity.
After living in Iceland for a few years, he was beneficiary of a grant from French ministry of
Culture in 2005, and began exhibiting in several countries across Europe (France, Greece,
Germany, Sweden).
His press and corporate assignments include clients like Wallpaper City Guides, Elle, The
Guardian, TGV magazine, Allianz, Total, Australian Wine Selectors or Le Figaro Magazine.
His works have also appeared in various art reviews like O.K. Periodicals, Standard
Magazine, Mouvement or Le Festin.

Emiliano Capozoli, was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil in 1984. He is a journalism graduate and he works in Europe as a correspondent photographer of the Brazilian press. After studying cinema in Paris for a year, he moved to London where he graduated with a MA in photojournalism and documentary photography at London College of Communication.

It is believed that the biggest Brazilian community in Europe is based in the United Kingdom, numbering around 150 thousand people. One can find families, hard working people, students, pastors, cleaners and the list goes on. A big percentage of these people have actually created a small Brazil inside the UK. They can’t speak English, so they work, pray and enjoy their particular world inside a completely different society. Nightclubs, hairdresser salons, restaurants, bars, churches and shops are their meeting point.

The photo story was shot in Elephant and Castle, South-East London, in the heart of the Brazilian community there. The main idea is work with two absolutely contrasted groups that do share equal enthusiasm and energy. Emiliano Capozoli spent Fridays and Saturdays attending a nightclub party and some Sundays in a Baptist Church walking between drunken guys chatting up with girls and pastors trying to make people feel better. Beside their nationality, language and the fact that they belong to the same hybrid society, it was possible to find a few other common points between them that one could see through the images taken.

David Shaw is a 2nd year BA Photojournalism studying at London College of Communication. His work is centred around human rights issues and is where he wants to further his career. he did an extensive work all over the West Bank of Palestine and in Israel and well as he worked with migrants and refugees who are stuck in Calais trying to get into Britain.

Bashar picks olives in the West Bank village of Qaryout

Every year the Palestinians harvest the olive trees that have been part of their land for centuries. However, due to the military occupation in Palestine, the farmers are subject to constant attacks by Israeli soldiers and idealogical settlers in the harvesting period.
The ancient trees are burnt down throughout the year effectively destroying hundreds of years worth of history and attacking an old Palestinian tradition that had been a fundamental part of their culture for generations.

The families are forced from their land due to “security reasons” at random and cannot continue the harvest, taking away a large part of their income and attacking basic human rights.

The Olive Harvest has become more than traditional harvesting, it has become a form of resistance. The Palestinians are aware that if they give up their land and stop harvesting the trees, Israel will claim it as their own.

The images in this story are from the villages Burin and Oaryout, two of the many villages across the West Bank and Gaza that experience these continuous attacks and attempts to have their land and culture taken away from them.

Palestinian farmers load a tractor with olive branches in the presence of an Israeli settlement which is mage on what used to Palestinian farm land. Near the village of Qaryout.

Women go to work in the West Bank village of Salem.

Farmers carry a freshly harvested sack of olives back to the village of Qaryout.

An elderly women picks fallen Olives in the Village of Qaryout.

An olive tree stands despite being attacked and burnt local Israeli settlers. Near the West Bank village of Burin.

Mr Najjar finds more trees burnt by local Israeli settlers. Near the village of Burin.

Israeli soldiers arrive to force Palestinan farmers off their land due to “security reasons”. Palestinian farmers have to co-ordinate times to harvest their trees how ever it is often not enough and the soldiers do not always abide by the agreed times. Near the village of Burin.

Mr Najjar argues with Israeli soldiers over their order for him to leave his land, near the village of Burin.

Ghassan Najjar after being told to leave his farther land near the village of Burin.

An Israeli gate stops Palestinian farmers driving their tractors and tools to their land near the village of Salem.

The Harvest of the day is processed at the village olive press in Qaryout.

Many different families and farmers bring their olives to be pressed at the local olive press in Qaryout.

A Palestinian works the village press in the village of Qaryout.

An Israeli soldier checks a famers green card near the village of Qaryout.

Israeli soldiers question Palestinian farmers near the village of Qaryout.

International volunteers and Palestinians work the olive trees near the village of Qaryout.

Patrick Tombola is a multimedia photojournalist currently based in Cairo, Egypt.
His aim is to capture compelling stories with a strong sense of journalistic ethic and integrity through a variety of mediums including photography; video; radio and print.
His work has been published widely in Australia, Europe and Indonesia.
Tombola has witnessed and reported events worldwide, from the civil war that shook Libya to problems of drug addiction in the slums of Jakarta, from recent social upheaval in Cairo to issues of homelessness on the polished streets of Sydney.

1) What’s going on today in Cairo?
Over the last week we have witnessed Egyptian Special Forces raiding 17 local and foreign funded pro democracy NGOs. This move is telling of the times to come, especially as the one-year anniversary of the January 25 revolution approaches. Despite the fact that clashes in Tahrir Square have ceased, tensions are still simmering just below the surface and all parties involved are on a constant state of high alert.

2) Why did you decide to move to Cairo for a while?
From a geo-political and cultural point of view Egypt is a country of huge strategic importance. It’s proximity to Israel, ties with foreign Western powers and cultural dominance over the Arab world make it a great place to find challenging stories, learn more about Middle Eastern affairs and learn basic Arabic. At first I came to cover a specific story on a specific ethnic minority in Cairo but then saw no point in catching a flight back. So for now I call Cairo my home.

3) How difficult it is working there?
Well, it really depends on what you’re covering, how you approach your subject, your cultural sensitivity and previous experience. An issue such as women’s rights is not only hard to cover visually but access to women in a vulnerable condition is exceptionally hard, especially for a male photographer. But then again, a good fixer, great connections and lots of patience can get you a long way.

4) I know that you had an injury during one of the demonstrations, can you tell us something about that?
I was covering the first day of the December clashes on one of the street near Tahrir. A demonstrator was shielding me as thugs threw rocks from rooftops when a rock hit me straight on the wrist, causing a deep cut and a minor fracture. When I was taken to the nearby field hospital I quickly realized that others had not been so lucky. I think a young boy next to me who had extensive head injury later died in hospital, though I was not able to confirm it with hospital staff. Whilst I always wear a helmet in this kind of situation, most photographers can only minimize risk not avoided altogether.

5) Witch kind of suggestion can you give to someone who wants to go to Cairo to take photos?
I’d say first try and read as much about Egypt as possible including its history, customs and politics. Understanding gender relations, the complex coexistence of different faiths and ethnic groups will aid incredibly your chances of both being granted access to important visual narratives and not incur into any unpleasant faux pas.
In terms of photographing Tahrir Square, that’s a whole different thing. Before you even take your camera out of your pouch spend as long as it takes to read thoroughly the situation you’re in; no matter how many times you’ve been back to the same place, every time it’s different. What was acceptable just an hour before, it might not be now. Ask other photographers if they encountered problems and what political groups, if any, are present in the square in that moment.

6) How many photographers did you meet in Cairo, were there many Italians?
When I first arrived in Cairo it was hard to grasp how many photographers were working in the city as everyone would be busy covering different stories. Once the clashes kicked off numbers grew exponentially every day. I met countless Italian photographers, some with a wealth of experience, others just starting off. Regardless there was a good group, all looking out for each other as best we could.

7) What do you think about photojournalism today?
Ahh, here comes the tough question. I’m not inclined to make broad statements about photojournalism, as the industry is so diverse and fast changing and ultimately each photographer approaches it differently.
I do believe that we are certainly facing a moment of crisis but I’m not as pessimistic as some of my colleagues. Whenever an economic model crumbles another rises from its ashes. Personally I think compelling stories, good journalism integrity and investigative work both in terms of content and visual narrative will always have a place, albeit a smaller and more competitive one.

8.) What about multimedia, do you think they will be more interesting for the media market then photographs?
Multimedia has been somewhat of a buzzword amongst photojournalists over the past couple of years and to some extent deservedly so. Strong images coupled with high quality sound recording and powerful video footage is the missing link between the agelessness of still images and power of moving images. However, there are copious amounts of cheap multimedia out there, thrown together with little or no scripting and no editing skills whatsoever. Unfortunately most media publish the former as they require little money and time. However, as ipads and androids will become the norm and wireless internet will become more available, I hope editors will start seeing the benefit of investing in high quality multimedia storytelling.

10) After Cairo what’s your next step, do you know it already?
I have different projects lined up in Italy, Indonesia and Australia; a documentary series potentially lined up for the second part of 2012 that would take me to Mexico. However, deep down, I hope to have a coffee in Damascus as soon as possible. It’s appalling what Syrians are enduring and I feel it’s our duty as journalists to expose the full implication of the regime’s repression.

foto by Tobia Piatto & Andrea Nordio

E’ da un paio di giorni che nel piazzale davanti la stazione ferroviaria di Venezia, S. Lucia, manifestano saldamente dei lavoratori, ormai ex- lavoratori di “Wasteels” ( una delle società con cui lavora Trenitalia). Questa quarantina di persone, che sono solo una parte (in tutto sono 860 lavoratori), lavoravano nelle linee notturne nazionali e internazionali, ora soppresse grazie ai nuovi accordi presi tra Trenitalia e Veolia. Ma per meglio spiegare la situazione, questa è una lettera scritta da uno dei lavoratori “Wasteels” alle istituzioni competenti:

“ Le invio questa mia lettera come invito a condividere sdegno e preoccupazione per gli eventi, che qui di seguito riporterò, che vedranno salvo interventi più significativi il licenziamento di 800 lavoratori che operano nel settore ferroviario e che hanno fornito la propria opera attraverso diversi intermediari  per molti anni al loro effettivo datore di lavoro quale è Ferrovie dello Stato prima e Trenitalia poi.

Faccio riferimento al settore notte, alla soppressione dei collegamenti tra nord e sud Italia servita da i treni notte, affidati alla società Servirail che gestisce il personale per le tratte nazionali, e alle tratte internazionale che collegano Venezia-Parigi e Roma-Parigi il quale personale a tutt’ oggi, e fino all’10 dicembre, è gestito dalla società Wasteels con ufficio personale al binario 1 della stazione di Venezia e a Roma .

Il 19 gennaio scorso nasce la partnership fra il gruppo Fs e Veolia il primo convoglio a targa italo-francese Tvt, Trenitalia Veolia Transdev. La nuova società ferroviaria ha ottenuto il via libera del ministero dei Trasporti francese, e diventa così la prima società ferroviaria privata ad avere una licenza nel mercato transalpino del trasporto passeggeri su rotaia per la tratta notturna Venezia-Milano-Parigi. Quindi trenitalia decide, nella veste di nuova socierà di diritto francese  tvt, di reclutare il personale viaggiante ex novo, con chiari vantaggi economici rispetto a personale italiano che ha già maturato emolumenti retributivi legati a esperienza e anzianità; ma ciò che più lascia perplessi è che lo fa in Francia a Parigi creando disoccupazione in Italia, e rinunciando all’esperienza e la qualità di un servizio che può essere fornito solo da chi questo lavoro lo fa da più di 30 anni.

Diretta conseguenza di questa scelta se non si troveranno soluzioni occupazionali alternative sarà il licenziamento con effetti diretti nel tessuto sociale come: mutui bloccati, finanziamenti che non possono essere rimborsati e famiglie private di sostentamento, nonché dei costi che la collettività dovrà assumersi davanti a nuovi disoccupati arrivati alla soglia dei 30,40, o50 anni; difficili così da ricollocare.

Trenitalia ha già dichiarato davanti ai sindacati di non sentire nessuna responsabilità e di non dover nulla a chi, anche se per loro lavora da molti anni,  non è assunto direttamente da Trenitalia spa.

È da precisare che trenitalia rescinde il contratto d’appalto con un’anno di anticipo dalla naturale data di scadenza pagando presumibilmente delle penali piuttosto salate alle aziende coinvolte”.

altre info qui.

Giovanni Damiola is an Italian photographer from Milan, currently lives between Toronto and New York City. He loves to travel and discover people and cultures.
Photography is his way to share stories and sensations made by people, symbols and colors.