ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Monika Bulaj - Photographer
Monika Bulaj’s stunning, painting-like photographs blur religious and cultural divisions, exploding stereotypes. She is a TED Fellow.

Why you should listen

Monika Bulaj is a photographer and writer who explores -- in Asia, Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe -- the dim areas of monotheism, where the sacred can transcend borders: Bonfires, dances, cults of the dead, possession rites. She describes outskirts and deserts, frontiers and megalopolis. And the world of the last ones: nomads, farmers, immigrants, outcasts, untouchables and impure.

Her photos and reportaging have been published by GEO, National Geographic (Italy), La Repubblica, periodicals by Gruppo Espresso and Rcs, Courrier International, Gazeta Wyborcza (Poland), Internazionale, Freundin, Teatr (Poland) and other international magazines.
She has displayed more than 50 personal exibitions in Italy, Germany, Ungheria, Bulgaria, Egypt.

Her books include Libya felix, a travel into Sufism and the world of the Tuaregh; Figli di Noè, on minorities and faiths in Azerbaijian; Rebecca e la pioggia, on the nomadic tribe of the Dinka of South Sudan; Gerusalemme perduta with Paolo Rumiz, the special correspondent of La Repubblica, on the pellegrinage in the research of the Eastern Christians; Genti di Dio, viaggio nell'Altra Europa, a synthesis of 20 years of research in East Europe and Israel, and her latest book, Bozy ludzie. 

She has screenwritten documentaries, among which is the movie Romani Rat (2002) by M. Orlandi, on the Holocaust of the Roms, with the contribution of the Shoah Visual History Foundation. She's the director, photography director, and screenwriter of the documentary Figli di Noè, about the villages of Caucasus on the border between Dagestan and Azerbaigian.

Bulaj is a TED Fellow. Read TED's Q&A with Monika Bulaj >>

More profile about the speaker
Monika Bulaj | Speaker | TED.com
TEDGlobal 2011

Monika Bulaj: The hidden light of Afghanistan

Monika Bulaj: Skriveno svjetlo Afganistana

Filmed:
669,507 views

Fotografkinja Monika Bulaj dijeli snažne, intimne slike Afganistana -- domaćeg života, rituala, muškaraca i žena. Iza naslova, što u stvari svijet zna o tom mjestu?
- Photographer
Monika Bulaj’s stunning, painting-like photographs blur religious and cultural divisions, exploding stereotypes. She is a TED Fellow. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:15
My travelsputovanja to AfghanistanAfganistan
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Moja putovanja u Afganistan
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beganpočeo manymnogi, manymnogi yearsgodina agoprije
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počela su prije puno, puno godina
00:21
on the easternistočni bordergranica of my countryzemlja,
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na istočnoj granici moje zemlje,
00:24
my homelandzavičaj, PolandPoljska.
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moje domovine, Poljske.
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I was walkinghodanje throughkroz the forestsšume
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Hodala sam kroz šume
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of my grandmother'sBaka je talespriče.
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bakinih priča.
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A landzemljište where everysvaki fieldpolje hidesskriva a gravegrob,
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Zemljom u kojoj se na svakom polju krije grob,
00:38
where millionsmilijuni of people
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gdje su milijuni ljudi
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have been deporteddeportiran or killedubijen
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deportirani ili ubijeni
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in the 20thth centurystoljeće.
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u 20. stoljeću.
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BehindIza the destructionrazaranje,
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Iza destrukcije,
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I foundpronađeno a soulduša of placesmjesta.
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našla sam dušu mjesta.
00:51
I metsastali humbleskroman people.
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Upoznala sam skromne ljude.
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I heardčuo theirnjihov prayermolitva
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Čula njihove molitve
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and atejeli theirnjihov breadkruh.
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i jela njihov kruh.
00:57
Then I have been walkinghodanje EastIstok for 20 yearsgodina --
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Onda sam hodala istočno 20 godina --
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from EasternIstočne EuropeEurope to CentralSredišnje AsiaAsia --
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od istočne Europe do centralne Azije --
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throughkroz the CaucasusCaucasus MountainsPlanine,
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kroz planine Kavkaza,
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MiddleSrednji EastIstok,
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srednjeg Istoka,
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NorthSjever AfricaAfrika,
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sjeverne Afrike,
01:11
RussiaRusija.
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Rusije.
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And I ever metsastali more humbleskroman people.
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I stalno sam sretala sve skromnije ljude.
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And I sharedpodijeljen theirnjihov breadkruh and theirnjihov prayermolitva.
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I dijelila sam njihov kruh i molitve.
01:20
This is why I wentotišao to AfghanistanAfganistan.
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Zato sam otišla u Afganistan.
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One day, I crossedprešao the bridgemost
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Jednog dana, prelazeći most
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over the OxusOxus RiverRijeka.
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preko rijeke Oxus.
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I was alonesam on footnoga.
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Bila sam sama, pješice.
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And the AfghanAfganistanski soldiervojnik was so surprisediznenađen to see me
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I afganistanski vojnik je bio toliko iznenađen što me vidi
01:33
that he forgotzaboravio to stamppečat my passportPutovnica.
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da je zaboravio poštambiljati mi putovnicu.
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But he gavedali me a cupkupa of teačaj.
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Ali mi je dao šalicu čaja.
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And I understoodrazumjeti
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I razumjela sam
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that his surpriseiznenađenje was my protectionzaštita.
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da je njegovo iznenađenje bila moja zaštita.
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So I have been walkinghodanje and travelingputujući,
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Tako sam hodala i putovala,
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by horseskonji, by yakjak, by truckkamion, by hitchhikinghitchhiking,
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konjima, jakovima, kaminonima, autostopirajući,
01:49
from Iran'sIran je bordergranica
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od iranske granice
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to the bottomdno, to the edgerub of the WakhanWakhan CorridorKoridora.
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do dna, do ruba Wakhan koridora.
01:56
And in this way
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I na tom putu
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I could find noorNoor, the hiddenskriven lightsvjetlo of AfghanistanAfganistan.
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mogla sam pronaći noor, skriveno svjetlo Afganistana.
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My only weaponoružje
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Moje jedino oružje
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was my notebookBilježnica and my LeicaLeica.
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je bila moja bilježnica i moja Leica.
02:12
I heardčuo prayersmolitve of the SufiSufi --
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Čula sam molitve Sufija --
02:14
humbleskroman MuslimsMuslimani,
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skromnih Muslimana
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hatedomrznut by the TalibanTalibani.
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koje mrze Talibani.
02:18
HiddenSkriveni riverRijeka,
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Skrivena rijeka,
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interconnectedpovezan with the mysticismmisticizam
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isprepletena s misticizmom
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from GibraltarGibraltar to IndiaIndija.
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od Gibraltara do Indije.
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The mosquedžamija where the respectfulpun poštovanja foreignerstranac
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Džamija u kojoj je poštovani stranac
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is showeredobasuo with blessingsblagoslov
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okupan blagoslovom
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and with tearssuze,
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i suzama,
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and welcomedpozdravio je as a giftdar.
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i pozdravljen kao poklon.
02:39
What do we know
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Što znamo
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about the countryzemlja and the people
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o zemlji i ljudima
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that we pretendpretvarati se to protectzaštititi,
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koji se prave da štite,
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about the villagessela
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sela
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where the only one medicinelijek
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u kojima je jedini lijek
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to killubiti the painbol and to stop the hungerglad
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koji ubija bol i zaustavlja glad
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is opiumopijum?
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opijum?
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These are opium-addictedopijum-ovisnik people
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To su ovisnici o opijumu
02:58
on the roofskrovovi of KabulKabul
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na krovovima Kabula
03:01
10 yearsgodina after the beginningpočetak of our warrat.
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10 godina nakon početka našeg rata.
03:05
These are the nomadNomad girlsdjevojke
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Ovo su nomadske djevojke
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who becamepostao prostitutesprostitutke for AfghanAfganistanski businessmenposlovni ljudi.
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koje su postale prostitutke za afganistanske poslovnjake.
03:12
What do we know about the womenžene
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Što znamo o ženama
03:14
10 yearsgodina after the warrat?
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10 godina nakon rata?
03:16
ClothedOdjevena in this nylonnajlon bagtorba,
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Obučene u najlonske vrećice,
03:18
madenapravljen in ChinaKina,
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proizvedene u Kini,
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with the nameime of burqaburka.
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s imenom burka.
03:24
I saw one day,
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Vidjela sam jednog dana
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the largestnajveći schoolškola in AfghanistanAfganistan,
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najveću školu u Afganistanu,
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a girls'djevojački schoolškola.
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žensku školu.
03:31
13,000 girlsdjevojke
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13.000 cura
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studyingučenje here
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studira ovdje
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in the roomssobe undergroundpodzemlje,
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u podzemnim sobama,
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fullpuni of scorpionsškorpioni.
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punim škorpiona.
03:44
And theirnjihov love [for studyingučenje]
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I njihova ljubav [za studiranjem]
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was so bigvelika that I criedplakala.
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je bila toliko velika da sam zaplakala.
03:52
What do we know
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Što znamo
03:54
about the deathsmrt threatsprijetnje by the TalibanTalibani
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o smrtnim prijetnjama Talibana
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nailedzakovan on the doorsvrata
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naljepljenim na vrata
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of the people who dareusuditi se to sendposlati theirnjihov daughterskćeri to schoolškola as in BalkhBalkh?
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ljudi koji su se usudili poslati svoje kćeri u školu kao u Balkhu?
04:05
The regionregija is not secureosigurati, but fullpuni of the TalibanTalibani,
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Regija nije sigurna, i puna je Talibana,
04:08
and they did it.
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ali su oni to učinili.
04:10
My aimcilj is to give a voiceglas
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Moj cilj je dati glas
04:12
to the silentnijem people,
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tihim ljudima,
04:15
to showpokazati the hiddenskriven lightssvjetla
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pokazati skriveno svjetlo
04:19
behindiza the curtainzavjesa of the great gameigra,
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iza zavjesa velike igre,
04:22
the smallmali worldssvjetovi ignoredzanemarena by the mediamedia
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malih svjetova koje mediji ignoriraju
04:25
and the prophetsProroci of a globalglobalno conflictsukob.
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kao i propovjednici globalnog sukoba.
04:27
ThanksHvala.
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Hvala.
04:29
(ApplausePljesak)
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(Pljesak)

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Monika Bulaj - Photographer
Monika Bulaj’s stunning, painting-like photographs blur religious and cultural divisions, exploding stereotypes. She is a TED Fellow.

Why you should listen

Monika Bulaj is a photographer and writer who explores -- in Asia, Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe -- the dim areas of monotheism, where the sacred can transcend borders: Bonfires, dances, cults of the dead, possession rites. She describes outskirts and deserts, frontiers and megalopolis. And the world of the last ones: nomads, farmers, immigrants, outcasts, untouchables and impure.

Her photos and reportaging have been published by GEO, National Geographic (Italy), La Repubblica, periodicals by Gruppo Espresso and Rcs, Courrier International, Gazeta Wyborcza (Poland), Internazionale, Freundin, Teatr (Poland) and other international magazines.
She has displayed more than 50 personal exibitions in Italy, Germany, Ungheria, Bulgaria, Egypt.

Her books include Libya felix, a travel into Sufism and the world of the Tuaregh; Figli di Noè, on minorities and faiths in Azerbaijian; Rebecca e la pioggia, on the nomadic tribe of the Dinka of South Sudan; Gerusalemme perduta with Paolo Rumiz, the special correspondent of La Repubblica, on the pellegrinage in the research of the Eastern Christians; Genti di Dio, viaggio nell'Altra Europa, a synthesis of 20 years of research in East Europe and Israel, and her latest book, Bozy ludzie. 

She has screenwritten documentaries, among which is the movie Romani Rat (2002) by M. Orlandi, on the Holocaust of the Roms, with the contribution of the Shoah Visual History Foundation. She's the director, photography director, and screenwriter of the documentary Figli di Noè, about the villages of Caucasus on the border between Dagestan and Azerbaigian.

Bulaj is a TED Fellow. Read TED's Q&A with Monika Bulaj >>

More profile about the speaker
Monika Bulaj | Speaker | TED.com