A Right to the Image - Panel Discussion

In our hyper-mediatized world, victims of wars and mass violations of human rights are often depicted in terms of bodies rather than individuals. Representations of human suffering and injustice are not only aesthetic choices; they are also political and ethical choices. In an era where images can be captured in one place and consumed instantly around the world, certain paradoxes and dilemmas are relevant to all legal systems. Thus comes the proposed concept of “a right to the image”—complex, multilayered, and not associated with any single right but a group of rights. By examining different bodies of work from the worlds of film and photography, we explore the notion of a right to the image that protects the dignity of subjects, as well as the integrity of the journalists, filmmakers, photographers, and researchers who work in these situations.

Participants include:
Charif Kiwan, Co-founder of and spokesperson for the Abounaddara Collective
Susan Meiselas, photographer and President & Acting Executive Director, Magnum Foundation
Pamela Yates, filmmaker and Co-founder & Creative Director, Skylight Pictures