Akram Zaatari

Saida, June 6, 1982 Blue print showing camera movement, 2006-2009

This print is a capture showing the camera movements from the video "Saida June 6, 1982" (2002, 90 sec), which is based on six still photographs that Zaatari took from the balcony of his parents’ apartment in Saida on June 6, 1982. It was the first day of the Israeli invasion of Lebanon. The artist was 16 years old, and had been learning photography using his father’s Kiev 35mm camera for more than a year. This is why he had his camera loaded and ready all the time to take pictures whenever an explosion or shelling occurred. In 1982, he had already photographed few insignificant air raids that were far in the south of Saida, including the bombing of the Zahrani Refinery. These were times Zaatari describes as absolute boredom as people of his age rarely went out except at school. This is how Zaatari started recording sound, taking notes, and photographs on a regular basis.