Perpignan photojournalism festival focuses on current crises

The 38th edition of the Visa pour l'Image international photojournalism festival has commenced in Perpignan, France, coinciding with the bicentennial celebration of photography. This year's event, running until September 13, showcases 27 exhibitions that confront pressing global issues, including conflicts and humanitarian crises.

Among the highlighted exhibitions is the work of Spanish photographer Diego Ibarra Sánchez, based in Lebanon. His show, 'The Last War - Lebanon 2015-2026,' focuses on the conflict in Lebanon and features his reporting for The New York Times. Other significant themes explored include the massacres in Gaza and the war in Ukraine.

Social issues are also a central focus, with exhibitions addressing the fentanyl crisis in the United States and the human consequences of the cocaine trade and the global war on drugs. Danish photographer Mads Nissen's work, 'Blood White: The Geography of Cocaine,' which captures images from Colombia, Mexico, and Europe, will offer insights into these complex issues.

The festival also turns its lens towards the impacts of climate change. Additionally, it provides in-depth looks at the careers of distinguished photographers through monographic exhibitions. A notable tribute is dedicated to French photographer and filmmaker Raymond Depardon, a co-founder of the Gamma agency, offering a comprehensive overview of his extensive photojournalistic career.

"This unprecedented selection of his most emblematic photographs, built around his reports and his coverage of national and international news, allows us to rediscover the valuable and unique perspective of one of the key witnesses of our time," the festival states, recognizing Depardon as one of the most important French photographers of his generation. The event also commemorates the 200-year history of the French newspaper Le Figaro with a dedicated exhibition. Beyond the displays, the festival includes debates, talks with photographers, and roundtables, reinforcing its commitment to journalistic ethics, factual rigor, and on-the-ground reporting in an era of fake images and uncontrolled artificial intelligence.