Show that we exist: Iraqi women’s stories, Rita Leistner, and her seeking human(ity) in the images of conflict

Abstract

This article presents an analysis of one of the socio-artistic projects of the Canadian photographer Rita Leistner. Her work focuses mainly on how humans function during conflict and crises, including internal ones, but also includes initiatives related to environmental protection and fortitude displayed by her characters in everyday life. By focusing on the human condition and the situation of humanism today, Leistner demonstrates concern and a profound sense of empathy. Our reflections focus on the Safer here project, which tells the story of women incarcerated against their will in a Baghdad psychiatric hospital. Leistner presented their daily struggle for survival, their dignified lives, and how they come to terms with their plight. It was originally part of Unembedded, a project of four photojournalists stationed in Iraq. Our aim is to place Leistner’s story in a broader context that considers how war stories are created and presented to the world. We also consider the demanding and difficult role played by artists in this process, who try to find a balance between being interpreters and being historians. Leistner’s work shows her as, above all, an activist fighting for public attention and empathy for war victims. We use storytelling and visual analysis in our empirical investigations.