26 / 05 / 2009
The global crisis has hit stock markets, corporations, the press, globalization itself, employment, delocalization and so on. Billions have been lost, but who has lost? Shareholders, management, people with savings? And then there are profits - golden parachutes, bonuses for traders, stock options and more.
Next came recovery plans, stimulus packages, and summit meetings where politicians tried to regain control of an economy out of control.
Economic considerations have prevailed and the press has suffered; magazines and agencies have folded. The press, a key vector of freedom of expression, is under threat, and with restructuring so are photographers and journalists.
We are caught up in this international upheaval, losing our references and values, but we want to understand the situation, to see who is responsible, and learn from these mistakes. We will only be able to avoid the traps of extremism and a return to the dark ages, if we have freedom of the press, with genuine diversity, presenting different opinions.
The Festival Visa pour l’Image has been championing photojournalism for twenty years now and it is our duty to support the people who craft the freedom of expression we need in our quest for truth.
In the world of modern media with high-speed Internet interactions, photography, which is now digital and immediate, stands as a great force; it is able to mark minds.
But photography is more than just the message of one photo; it is also an expression of cultural context, a response, and an atmosphere. In such difficult times, these aspects, whether positive or negative, are of interest to the public, as we can see with more and more people coming to exhibitions.
No matter what the current affairs story is, Visa pour l’Image is a festival with commitment, for a world with genuine freedom of expression and respect for fundamental values of tolerance and human rights.
Perpignan, the annual meeting place for photojournalists around the world, will be pleased to welcome you here in 2009.
Jean-Paul Griolet
President