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HIV in Portugal
They were all caught by surprise. They never expected such a diagnosis, being the carriers of the HIV virus. Almost all thought being infected was impossible. In their minds they never had risk behavior. In general they have an idea that the responsibility of the infection isn’t theirs, but from the “other”. The “other” is a husband, boyfriend, a father, a mother and even doctors, responsible for blood transfusions. There are few that recognize the risk . But the big responsibility for such a high rate of HIV infections in Portugal is the lack of prevention campaigns. This would enter the world of the “other”, the common person, not only the usual group risk: drug addicts, gays and prostitutes. In fact it’s proved today that such HIV stereotypes do not exist. We can only talk about risk behavior, not groups.
Portugal is the country with more infections per million (205) in the west of Europe, according to the latest studies of EuroHiv.
The “other” can be you and me.
Photographs: Miguel Ribeiro Fernandes
Website: www.miguelrfernandes.com
David, thank you for you response. I tend to agree with you on the subject of visual interpretation.
I just wanted to say having experienced close-hand, the death of several people who mean more to me than I mean to myself, has in part given me a sense and experience of the emotional and physical extremes one goes through, in seeing someone dying and conversely in being left behind to live. I have held loved people in my arms as their last breath slowly and effortlessly expelled from their body. I have had to come to terms with not being able to save a brother from a heart-attack and in the 45 mins while I performed CPR and futile attempts at heart massage to keep him alive. I have felt and still feel the consequences of guilt and anger in knowing my inadequacies. I have experienced the fracture of aids and HIV as well, directly and indirectly knowing people who have died from the disease.
I understand that photography doesn’t hold all the answers and do not imagine that photography can do everything, because the indelible connection to the moment of every photograph, is inherently different for those looking at, as apposed to those, inside the moment. I do however subscribe to the belief that photography can do something and it has already set me free on several occasions.
Miguel, I tend to think if you’re in this environment you have the depth of character to see and go beyond, the perhaps subjective wants, in my initial comment. I know that I would, even after my own limited first-hand experiences with dying and living with dying, struggle to produce a body of work on the subject. Despite my inhibitions towards your work, I applaud you for producing what you have.
Thank you Miguel, thank you David
Regards
TK
after reading some comments of this ‘old’ story that never ends because like you said Miguel it could be anyone. but most of the time, involved in the emotionalweb of love or sex, no one has the sense of risk perception…
but it’s so important to preserve our health because when you acquire HIV it’s forever and really change your life, your body, your relations with others and with yourself. it’s a continuum of drugs that change your body till you don’t recognize anymore in the mirror… the depressions… the stigma… the self-exclusion, the solitude…
and even if i am strong, a survivor, i couldn’t keep my tears for all the people who is suffering, for all my friends that i watched dying with aids
your work is very important and was held with such sensitivity that made me very pleased to participate (even if i can’t look to myself in photos). thank you for your interest on this matter.
e PARABÉNS!!
INDIGINIZ…
i do not have the first hand experience as do you….i have not suffered as have you….of course, you would be seeing something , or not seeing something, that would i….
you are a very grand and articulate person….
thank you for being here…..please stay with us…
cheers, david
BOB…
thanks for putting us on to Mike….it looks like an incredible body of work….i will start tonight taking a look….
cheers, david
DAVID :)))
thanks, it is indeed. it’s a shame his website doesn’t have his films, but you can see parts here:
http://www.ccca.ca/artists/artist_info.html?link_id=5248
or
here
http://www.vdb.org/smackn.acgi$artistdetail?HOOLBOOMM
He’s a brilliant man, an absolutely brilliant filmmaker and writer…but most importantly, he is an incredible, thoughtful, loving and generous person. He is not only gifted and smart, but so giving and deeply thoughtful. Marina and I met him when Marina interviewed him for the Online Art Magazine she had created with the gallery that used to show our work. anyway, he’s a great guy and dear dear friend. anyway, enjoy his work :)) I’ll tell him when i see him
hugs
running to teach
bob
thank you Isabel, lot’s of love, miguel
DAVID
Thank you. The idea you mention has been on my mind for a number of years. One day perhaps, when my ability to render it as I wish it to be rendered arrives. till then i will continue to push it round the plate without eating it. Also, I can only really dance the dances I know, and I dont know the ‘essay’ that well [realistically i cant 'dance' at all and just make one trick pony[[crypto self]] portaits ]
photograph, pain , expressed I think every picture i make has that in its DNA. And I like to believe that every picture is a self portrait anyway.
David, I’ve been thinking quite a bit about what you’ve written, and as so often I have problems with photographs and text.
I agree with you that one single image can tell more than a whole essay, sometimes it even is better, as it hits where it has to.
But Miguel has written a text with his images, there is mentioned more than once “you and me”, so I think, to convey this message, if this is his intention, and if the essay isn’t just as so many about AIDS/HIV in general, but about the message of you and me, then I remain the idea that more people, young, old, rich, poor, white, black or whatever ethnic group, men, woman.. etc. in different situations would fit better. Of course it all depends what Miguel wants to tell..
saluti, Eva
I can agree with the comments by David and others that this story has been told, but I also agree that this “story” can be told from many perspectives, many cultures, and every photographer will approach differently. Say one takes a look at the rich & influential of america, who are effected by AIDS/HIV and compare that to an essay on the poorest of poor in say India, Africa who are struggling to survive already impoverished conditions. same subject, different stories.
I like this essay by Miguel b/c it speaks to me as a very nice/intimate “portrait” piece.
I would urge anyone who is interested to check up on the work of photographer Gideon Mendel and his work with HIV/AIDS, and his commentaries about working on such a difficult/emotionally challenging subject, very moving, very strong journalism. He speaks about seeking the positive aspects, and showing the bravery and courage of his subjects when ever possible. I applaud that.
besides many other factors, it was gideon mendel’s work that motivated me to do my project on HIV/AIDS
Gotta love that- Somehow or other I have managed to completely miss Gideon Mendel’s work, so thankyou so much for the enlightenment Jeremy. I am not quite sure how I could have missed his stuff but its certainly worth a look.
EVA…
yes, good, you are thinking…and thinking clearly….i imagine Miguel has a lot of thinking to do to decide exactly how this all will go…whether or not he chooses to expand his demographic as you suggest will depend on so many circumstances, his energy, and his ability to finish (the hardest part)…there are always so many ways to work on this sort of essay…most photographers get stuck just not being able to make a decision…with so many choices, and theories, and possibilities, it is easy to end up stopping work because a conclusion or a working method cannot be reached…i do think if you look at any “complete” body of work by anyone, you could always imagine it could have been done differently…all of us just have to finally DECIDE and then go with our gut….if an essay is truly powerful and strong, then we tend not to question the so called “missing” elements…when we hear a good story or see a fine film we do not ask “why was such and such left out”…we live for the strength itself….the way of looking , the way of telling is often way more important than the hypothetical “list” of elements….
many thanks for your comments….
cheers, david
Miguel,
You have a moving essay but as I was reading your comment about the images being all composed, something bothered me with this idea. I find it hard to explain but somehow, for a dramatic subject like this, raw authenticity seems very important to me. Of course, any photographer will look at the environment to create the best image but the idea of “artificially” composing an image here maybe introduces a desire to dramatize that I am a bit uncomfortable with…. Maybe this is just me but, I would have prefered for you to naturally capture these moments of intimacy and despair vs “setting” the situation even if, at the end of the day, these are realistic and capturing the mood that you wanted to transmit….
Cheers,
Eric
SRINIVAS…
i am familiar with your work..very strong indeed…..please submit an essay….
cheers, david
thanks david!
i’ll put together an essay and submit it very soon.
srinivas
This essay alone has brought the work of Miguel, Gideon Mendel and Srinivas to our attention here at Burn. Thank you Burn and thank you Jeremy for the link to Gideon.
Here’s a question for all who have any experience of the matter: do you find access to stories such as these easier in the Developing World (I don’t like the term but at least it is better than Third World – there is only one) than in the West (another separating term)?
Mike.
MIKE R…
one of the reasons i was interested particularly in Miguel’s story was because it was done in the so called “developed West” (i do not like all these labels either)…i have never done an HIV story, but i do think in general, access for all kinds of stories is easier in the “developing” countries….this does bring up a whole new topic for discussion….please remind me to wrap a whole post around this issue….
cheers, david
Hi Mike, I think the stigma is strong in both type of societies. I don’t think we can generalize, although the access to this story hasn’t been easy at all, the place that I found more difficult to work was in the poorest country I have ever been – Chad. I think it all depends on the way you approach people, for me there’s no difference or distinction between a person from a rich or poor country. the respect is the same, or even more (not petty) to a person in a more difficult position.
I understand your point, somehow we tend to think (at least I used to) that going to Africa and photograph a story on HIV is easier, the subjects don’t have so much problems with it, but from time (although I have never done such a story on Africa – yet) I have learned I have always problems with it, and that’s what counts, my respect to the other. Regarding the fact that the story has been already done, yes, it’s true, but the problem is still there, anywhere in the word, so I believe it’s up to me to try to do something about it, has Robert Fisk says, I don’t want to be a passive witness.
best to all, miguel
I really like the story. I think theres nothing wrong with a story being in progress. I think any story is in progress especially stories that are personal ones, its very hard to just stop a story one is close to. As Miguel continues this work it will naturally mature, grow and get better. But for sure this is a very good start.
“as Robert Fisk says, I don’t want to be a passive witness.”
Thank you, Miguel, for bringing Roober Fisk into this discussion. To my mind he is our time’s most truth-telling and historically-aware journalist. Before I visited my friends Rabih and Sulaima in Beirut, they recommended I read Fisk’s “Pity the Nation.” It helps to experience a new–to you–place and people within the context of their recent history. Robert Fisk gave me that context.
I also want to commend you for entering so actively into this discussion of your essay. By doing so you have brought it to life and deepened our understanding of why you created it. That enriches the work and its impact…
peace
Patricia
Thanks David, I will. The issue is a minefield to be sure. Another is “Conflict Photography”!
Apologies for my not making New York earlier this month but I live in England – also, NYC was minus 6 degrees celsius and I don’t do minus 6 !! Maybe later in the year or even a workshop?
Please feel free to contact me at mrawcliffe@mac.com if I can assist in any way. Don’t worry, I won’t spam you.
Best wishes,
Mike.
Miguel, as Patricia says, thank you for your participation here: you bring great insight. I totally agree with you that this story needs to be told: without the telling and re-telling, antiviral drugs would not be available to as many people as they are today.
My question about access was not meant to diminish anyone’s efforts. I was wondering if developed world bureaucracy adds another obstacle to be overcome e.g. you finally find someone brave enough to tell their story and you then have to get permission to photograph in a hospital etc.
I can’t imagine that photographing your subject (or anyone else) on a railway station in India would be a problem whereas taking a photograph at NYC Grand Central Station; especially using a tripod, is (I believe) a big no-no without a license. These are the kind of issues I am referring to.
Best wishes (and where is Panos?),
Mike.
One of the things that makes it very hard to photograph a story like this is the social stigma. i had met families who travelled to hospitals/clinics outside their state as they were afraid that someone would know them if they went to a clicic near to their town. as it happens, other people from their village who were also HIV+ were thinking the same thing and were going to hospitals outside their state and found themselves in the same hospital as their neighbors.
most people are are afraid to talk or be photographed as they think that people will ‘talk’ and the whole community will find out or their extended family will find out. couples don’t even tell their own parents that they are HIV+.
clinics/hospices don’t really like to photographers in general because it’s happened that the photo has ended up in the local newspaper and doctors, social workers don’t want to break the patients trust. people go to these clinics because it offers them some level of privacy, some safety from others finding out and if they feel that having a photographer there is going to break that trust, then people wont even go to those clinics for treatment.
just some of my thoughts after reading a few of the above posts.
srinivas
MIKE R…
you are thoughtful and articulate….i will try to make good use of you on BURN…soonest i will come up with a way for the readers here to participate in article writing as well as shooting…awhile back in my old blog we did discuss conflict photography, but it is always a good subject to bring up again since we have many new readers….it does definitely tie in with access in developing cultures and the rights of photographers to do what they do and the equal human rights of the subjects they photograph…
we are also going to have a series of weekend workshops in New York…in the spring when it warms up a bit…let’s stay in touch with each other on this…
cheers, david
Thank you Srinivas for your comments here. As David has already said, your work is very strong; I am most impressed by its quality and range.
Yes, access is the key and it’s never easy. Building a rapport with trust on both sides is crucial. A Master of access must be Eugene Richards: how he manages to enter secret worlds such as drug abuse and knife-and-gun crime with such depth and sensitivity is amazing. And he gets to photograph inside the hospital!
David, how would you describe his work? Straight PJ but good straight PJ? I’m not demeaning anyone’s work here; it’s a term that David has used before and I’m just curious.
Best to all,
Mike.
Hey Mike, I understood your point and in no way I felt you were trying to diminishing someone :)
but sometimes things don’t work like you’re thinking, my first series of portraits on this work was done in a public hospital with great collaboration from all the medical staff. But yes, I have experienced more than once having no license to shoot in stated owned facilities.
And then in Chad I had real problems shooting, not only because of security issues, but also because of the condition of the subjects. They generally felt they were being exploited and used, so, we can have problems everywhere…
Patricia, I thank you all very much for the discussion, it’s very important for me.
best, miguel
Fascinating Miguel; thanks for the insight.
It really should not come as a surprise that the same problems exist in developing and developed places: after all, we are all Human Beings and as such display the same hopes, fears and contradictions. In my opinion the key factors to access are empathy with your subject, time, that they can trust you, and a recognition by both parties of your common humanity. When this is in place, then you can photograph.
When we see some of the outstanding, milestone, photographic essays we may well wonder how the photographer got so close and so intimate with his or her subjects. The answer probably is, with great difficulty and at considerable cost to his or herself and family in terms of being apart and of experiencing the trauma that accompanies some essays. The reader can turn the page but the photographer must witness first-hand.
Good light Miguel,
Mike.
Hello Miguel,
I like very much your work, your portraits are very respectful, I feel quite their sadness and pain even if I do not see them… I did not know that the portugual was so touched by the disease…
all the best, audrey
Visually, this essay is beautiful. As for the stories, I read them all. This is an achievement.
Obrigado Miguel,
28 jan. Hoje é o aniversário de meu irmão. Ele passou quatro anos atrás e eu posso ver sua cara forte no seu glorioso trabalho. Estou trabalhando em um projeto semelhante ao seu focalizando os inquilinos de um hospício onde passou seus últimos dias. Eu aprendi muito durante os meus últimos seis meses cuidando do meu irmão. Seu trabalho me ensinou muito mais.
Valeu
Tim Ripley
Tim, não tenho palavras… lamento o que se passou com o teu irmão. Respeito imenso que te consigas entregar a tal projecto, deve ser algo muito difícil. Gostava imenso de poder ver essas fotografias.
grande abraço, Miguel
Parabéns Miguel. Grande trabalho,ou neste caso grandes trabalhos, já que fui ao teu site. Como fotografo profissional, tiro-te o chapéu. Imagens fortes, com ou sem sharpen, o que é que isso interessa ? Elas vivem da sua força, o resto é para técnicos e discussões de mesa, sobre megapixeis e afins.
Parabéns mais uma vez.
Great articles, I like your site. I have added it to my bookmarks.