Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/08/31
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Hello luggers, I don=B4t have a very good english but I hope you understand my opinion... I bought the Salgados book "terra" a month ago, but since that I haven=B4t read the Saramago=B4s text until today. I=B4m really shocked as a Brazilian and a Pro Photographer, I agree Sebasti=E3o Salgado is a Great photographer, the best I=B4ve seen in my life= , but when I read that text I got very angry... Saramago describes "MST" (Movimento Sem Terra)or "Landless group" like friendly and poor "campers" who only want a little piece of land to live and work...=20 He forgot to say about the political power behind this Landless group, the same power who buys tractors, trucks, flags, tools(scythes=3Dweapons), and pays for the maitence of schools(to turn "campers" into leaders of invasions) and the strategic center of MST, were the invasions are strategic planned like in a war, with maps and commanders.=20 When he say "policia militarizada" or militar police he forgot to say how much the cops earn in a month, about US$ 450.00, and about their families, who sometimes even don=B4t have money to buy food and pay the house rent... no one want to die by a knife,scythe or a hoe. They are workers too... "MST" is a group made by poor people who want to work, but controlled by a BIG political group(the socialists), with old and smart politicians who wants to break the political order. Do we have problems? Yes, a lot... but "MST" in the last years, turns into one of our big problems... Salgado did I big mistake in my opinion, he turned his work in a political weapon, to fight in a political world... Photography don=B4t need political explanations... need good images to explain by itself... The book "terra" don=B4t need that "fair-tale" to be a great book... The photographer in my opinion should be the wittness not the judge... =20 Thanks, (Someday I will learn enough english to write my opinions better...) =20 Luiz Marinho Photography S=E3o Paulo - Brazil Phone/Fax: 55 11 571 6617 lmarinho@br2001.com.br