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

阿富汗不為人知的光輝

Filmed:
669,507 views

莫妮卡.布拉吉是一位攝影師。她向我們分享了於阿富汗拍攝,震撼人心、貼近拍攝對象的照片,包括了家庭生活、宗教、男人、女人。隱藏在標題之下,世人對於這塊土地到底瞭解多少?
- 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 travels旅行 to Afghanistan阿富汗
0
0
3000
我在阿富汗的旅程
00:18
began開始 many許多, many許多 years年份 ago
1
3000
3000
始於很多很多年前
00:21
on the eastern border邊境 of my country國家,
2
6000
3000
我的祖國、
00:24
my homeland家園, Poland波蘭.
3
9000
3000
我的家鄉,波蘭東邊的國界。
00:27
I was walking步行 through通過 the forests森林
4
12000
2000
我走過了在祖母那一輩時
00:29
of my grandmother's祖母 tales故事.
5
14000
4000
充滿著傳說的森林。
00:33
A land土地 where every一切 field領域 hides a grave,
6
18000
5000
一片每一塊田野都藏有墓穴的土地,
00:38
where millions百萬 of people
7
23000
2000
那裡有數以百萬計的人
00:40
have been deported被驅逐出境 or killed殺害
8
25000
3000
在二十世紀中
00:43
in the 20th century世紀.
9
28000
3000
被屠殺或放逐。
00:46
Behind背後 the destruction毀壞,
10
31000
2000
在滅絕的背後,
00:48
I found發現 a soul靈魂 of places地方.
11
33000
3000
我找到了那些地方的靈魂。
00:51
I met會見 humble謙卑 people.
12
36000
2000
我遇上了謙遜的人們。
00:53
I heard聽說 their prayer禱告
13
38000
2000
我聆聽他們的禱告
00:55
and ate their bread麵包.
14
40000
2000
也吃他們的麵包。
00:57
Then I have been walking步行 East for 20 years年份 --
15
42000
5000
就這樣,我向著東方走了二十年 -
01:02
from Eastern Europe歐洲 to Central中央 Asia亞洲 --
16
47000
3000
從東歐到中亞 -
01:05
through通過 the Caucasus高加索 Mountains,
17
50000
2000
經過高加索山脈、
01:07
Middle中間 East,
18
52000
2000
中東、
01:09
North Africa非洲,
19
54000
2000
北非、
01:11
Russia俄國.
20
56000
2000
和俄國。
01:13
And I ever met會見 more humble謙卑 people.
21
58000
4000
我遇到了更多的謙遜的人。
01:17
And I shared共享 their bread麵包 and their prayer禱告.
22
62000
3000
我分享了他們的麵包與祈禱。
01:20
This is why I went to Afghanistan阿富汗.
23
65000
3000
這就是我到阿富汗的原因。
01:23
One day, I crossed越過 the bridge
24
68000
4000
有一天,我走過
01:27
over the Oxus阿姆河 River.
25
72000
2000
跨越奧克蘇斯河的橋樑。
01:29
I was alone單獨 on foot腳丫子.
26
74000
2000
我單獨一人步行。
01:31
And the Afghan阿富汗 soldier士兵 was so surprised詫異 to see me
27
76000
2000
阿富汗士兵對我的出現感到非常驚訝
01:33
that he forgot忘記 to stamp郵票 my passport護照.
28
78000
3000
而忘記了在我的護照上蓋章。
01:36
But he gave me a cup杯子 of tea.
29
81000
2000
但是他給了我一杯茶。
01:38
And I understood了解
30
83000
2000
然後我瞭解到
01:40
that his surprise was my protection保護.
31
85000
3000
他的驚訝保護了我。
01:43
So I have been walking步行 and traveling旅行,
32
88000
3000
因此我一直步行和
01:46
by horses馬匹, by yak, by truck卡車, by hitchhiking搭便車,
33
91000
3000
騎馬、乘犛牛、搭卡車、搭便車地旅遊,
01:49
from Iran's伊朗 border邊境
34
94000
2000
從伊朗的邊境
01:51
to the bottom底部, to the edge邊緣 of the Wakhan瓦罕 Corridor走廊.
35
96000
5000
到瓦罕走廊的底部、邊緣。
01:56
And in this way
36
101000
2000
就這樣
01:58
I could find noor努爾, the hidden light of Afghanistan阿富汗.
37
103000
7000
我才能找到阿富汗隱藏著的光輝——努爾人。
02:05
My only weapon武器
38
110000
2000
我身上唯一的武器
02:07
was my notebook筆記本 and my Leica徠卡.
39
112000
5000
只有我的筆記型電腦與萊卡相機。
02:12
I heard聽說 prayers祈禱 of the Sufi蘇菲 --
40
117000
2000
我聽到了塔利班痛恨的蘇菲派 --
02:14
humble謙卑 Muslims穆斯林,
41
119000
2000
謙遜的回教徒 --
02:16
hated by the Taliban塔利班.
42
121000
2000
的祈禱。
02:18
Hidden river,
43
123000
2000
一條不為人知的長河
02:20
interconnected互聯 with the mysticism神秘主義
44
125000
2000
連接起直布羅陀到印度之間
02:22
from Gibraltar直布羅陀 to India印度.
45
127000
3000
的神秘主義。
02:25
The mosque清真寺 where the respectful尊敬的 foreigner外國人
46
130000
5000
那座清真寺把受敬重的外國人
02:30
is showered洗完澡 with blessings祝福
47
135000
2000
沐浴在祝福
02:32
and with tears眼淚,
48
137000
3000
和淚水中,
02:35
and welcomed歡迎 as a gift禮品.
49
140000
4000
亦如天賜地歡迎他們。
02:39
What do we know
50
144000
2000
對於我們假意保護的
02:41
about the country國家 and the people
51
146000
2000
這個國家以及她的人民
02:43
that we pretend假裝 to protect保護,
52
148000
3000
我們又瞭解多少呢?
02:46
about the villages村莊
53
151000
3000
知否他們村裡
02:49
where the only one medicine醫學
54
154000
2000
唯一用作止痛
02:51
to kill the pain疼痛 and to stop the hunger飢餓
55
156000
2000
和賴以糊口的藥物
02:53
is opium鴉片?
56
158000
2000
是鴉片?
02:55
These are opium-addicted鴉片上癮 people
57
160000
3000
這些是喀布爾屋頂上
02:58
on the roofs屋頂 of Kabul喀布爾
58
163000
3000
鴉片成癮的人
03:01
10 years年份 after the beginning開始 of our war戰爭.
59
166000
4000
出現在我們向阿富汗開戰的十年後。
03:05
These are the nomad游牧 girls女孩
60
170000
3000
這些是變成了阿富汗商人的妓女
03:08
who became成為 prostitutes妓女 for Afghan阿富汗 businessmen商人.
61
173000
4000
的遊牧民族小女孩。
03:12
What do we know about the women婦女
62
177000
2000
戰爭開打十年之後
03:14
10 years年份 after the war戰爭?
63
179000
2000
我們對於那些女人瞭解多少?
03:16
Clothed穿著衣服 in this nylon尼龍 bag,
64
181000
2000
她們穿著中國製造的
03:18
made製作 in China中國,
65
183000
2000
尼龍袋子所製成的
03:20
with the name名稱 of burqa布卡.
66
185000
4000
稱為布卡的外袍。
03:24
I saw one day,
67
189000
2000
有一天我看到,
03:26
the largest最大 school學校 in Afghanistan阿富汗,
68
191000
3000
阿富汗規模最大的學校,
03:29
a girls'女孩 school學校.
69
194000
2000
一所女子學校。
03:31
13,000 girls女孩
70
196000
3000
一萬三千女生
03:34
studying研究 here
71
199000
4000
在滿是蠍子的
03:38
in the rooms客房 underground地下,
72
203000
3000
地下室
03:41
full充分 of scorpions蝎子.
73
206000
3000
學習知識。
03:44
And their love [for studying研究]
74
209000
3000
她們對於學習熱愛的程度
03:47
was so big that I cried哭了.
75
212000
5000
高得讓我熱淚盈眶。
03:52
What do we know
76
217000
2000
我們對於
03:54
about the death死亡 threats威脅 by the Taliban塔利班
77
219000
3000
那些在巴爾赫省膽敢把女兒送去上學
03:57
nailed on the doors
78
222000
2000
因遭塔利班在門上釘上處死威脅的人
03:59
of the people who dare to send發送 their daughters女兒 to school學校 as in Balkh巴爾赫?
79
224000
6000
又瞭解多少?
04:05
The region地區 is not secure安全, but full充分 of the Taliban塔利班,
80
230000
3000
這個地區並不和平,到處都是塔利班,
04:08
and they did it.
81
233000
2000
他們作出了如此的惡行。
04:10
My aim目標 is to give a voice語音
82
235000
2000
我的目標是替沉默的人
04:12
to the silent無聲 people,
83
237000
3000
發出心聲
04:15
to show顯示 the hidden lights燈火
84
240000
4000
向世人展現,在強權爭鬥的遊戲幕後
04:19
behind背後 the curtain窗簾 of the great game遊戲,
85
244000
3000
被媒體與全球衝突的預言家
04:22
the small worlds世界 ignored忽視 by the media媒體
86
247000
3000
所忽略的弱勢國家之中
04:25
and the prophets先知 of a global全球 conflict衝突.
87
250000
2000
隱藏的光輝。
04:27
Thanks謝謝.
88
252000
2000
謝謝!
04:29
(Applause掌聲)
89
254000
9000
(掌聲)
Translated by Kung-Ming Lin
Reviewed by Kai Cheong Chan

▲Back to top

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