Behind the Frontline
“Throughout the war of 2024, I couldn’t make it to the frontline. I couldn’t be near the bombs or see destruction. I could barely hold my camera. But I somehow managed to shoot life as it was unfolding far from the frontline. How were the most vulnerable ones affected? What was it like to find shelter? From kids trying to live a semi-normal life in school turned shelters, volunteers trying to help, and professionals trying to safeguard our heritage, everyone tried to survive and help in their own way.
Even I, as a scared photojournalist, tried to photograph what was unfolding in front of me, even though it felt hopeless at times.” - Tamara Saade
Zach Bouery, photographed on 25 September 2024. A car mechanic, social media fixer, and devoted Christian, he took it upon himself to help internally displaced people fleeing Israeli attacks in the south of Lebanon, offering to repair their cars for free if they broke down.
Cieco, a blind dog who lived in the Mashala shelter in Nabatieh, at the southern border between Lebanon and Israel. After Israel intensified its attacks on the South, Hussein Hamze, the owner of the Mashala shelter, sent Cieco to a shelter in Beirut, where he eventually got adopted.
Ramlet el Baida, one of the last public beaches in Beirut, hosted families who had nowhere else to go, since the government had no emergency shelter plan in place as of 16 October 2024.
At the beginning of the war, Dr. Nadine Panayot, the director of the Archeological Museum of the American University of Beirut, decided to safekeep a selection of artifacts in a bunker they built, and replaced the items in the shelves with life-sized pictures and 3D printed replicas of the items.
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Tamara Saade is a Lebanese, Beirut-based journalist and photographer, focusing on Lebanon’s social landscapes and human rights.
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World Press Photo has partnered with the Samir Kassir Foundation to offer a free masterclass program for photojournalists based in Lebanon. The masterclass’s objective is to develop and guide photographers with 4-8 years of experience in their practice, placing special emphasis on building skills for long and sustainable careers in photojournalism, documentary photography, and beyond. Moreover, this course is designed to help photographers based in Lebanon reach the international community, providing guidance on diverse topics such as safety, research, photo ethics, writing, legal requirements, pitching, career development, and avenues for publishing.
See more work by Samir Kassir Foundation Masterclass participants here
