Roger Anis
(Egypt)
(Egypt)
Photo correspondent of Shorouk News
“
I see dialogue as the first step to change and going forward, if we manage to have a dialogue with people and cultures who are different from us it means the ability to live together and that means more understanding , and by understanding we can solve and search for solutions for our problems and by solving our problems we can make peace, and this is all we need in this world.
Project
Interview
Contacts
INTERNATIONAL PHOTO EXHIBITION "HERE I LIVE"
Photo project
«CLOSETS FULL OF DREAMS»
About the project
In Closets Full of Dreams I'm Opening many girls closets, showing girls dreams and fears and their own stories in a society where women is facing danger, sexual Harassment and oppression in the street every day. It is a true story about almost every Egyptian girl or women I know that you will always find something in her closet that she never wear or wear it once and never did again because what she faced in the street or even among her own family and friends. For me the closets is a symbol for our mind if I can wear everything I can think about everything, if I cannot wear everything I cannot think and speak about everything It's the simple and initial rules of being free, it is the freedom to wear what you want.
In Closets Full of Dreams I'm Opening many girls closets, showing girls dreams and fears and their own stories in a society where women is facing danger, sexual Harassment and oppression in the street every day. It is a true story about almost every Egyptian girl or women I know that you will always find something in her closet that she never wear or wear it once and never did again because what she faced in the street or even among her own family and friends. For me the closets is a symbol for our mind if I can wear everything I can think about everything, if I cannot wear everything I cannot think and speak about everything It's the simple and initial rules of being free, it is the freedom to wear what you want.
If you find a society where people cannot wear what they want I believe that they also cannot talk and think about all what they want or do not want. The idea came to me after so many stories and complaints that i hear from a lot of close female friends about their dreams in wearing dresses and their sadness in storing their nice clothes and not wearing it because of the fear of the street and society.
Awards
Thomson Reuters Nokia Photo Award 2014
Egypt Press Photo 2011 , 2013, 2015. 2017
Nominee Paul Hauf Award 2018
Reporting Rights Livelihood " Alternative Nobel " Grantee 2017
Shortlisted for the Contemporary African Photography Award 2016
Honorable Mention " UNICEF photo of the year " 2015
World Press Photo " Reporting Change "Project , Grants Winner 2013
Egypt Press Photo 2011 , 2013, 2015. 2017
Nominee Paul Hauf Award 2018
Reporting Rights Livelihood " Alternative Nobel " Grantee 2017
Shortlisted for the Contemporary African Photography Award 2016
Honorable Mention " UNICEF photo of the year " 2015
World Press Photo " Reporting Change "Project , Grants Winner 2013
More photos of the project you can findь here
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We asked Roger several questions:
«My theme can fit any woman anywhere, just ask her this question: tell us a story about a piece of cloth in your closet, and you will hear a different story from around the globe».
— How was the Media-Forum «Dialogue of Cultures»? Share your feelings about it.
— I've broadened the network of the people, who are working in the media from around the world , saw works from other countries, got to know more about journalism and media in Russia, interacting with people from different countries and talking about the situation of women there, it has given me more insight about where we live. I also saw the Hermitage museum, which I've heard a lot about, with my own eyes, how great it is.
— It was your first journey to Russia. Probably, you'd already had the image of this big and multinational country before coming here. What was this image?
— I have never been to Russia before. I've heard a lot about it, but I understood that during my stay here I would see only a tiny part of it. And, of course, I've heard a lot about cold weather. I met a lot of new friends here, learned more about the country (especially about architecture and museums).
— I have never been to Russia before. I've heard a lot about it, but I understood that during my stay here I would see only a tiny part of it. And, of course, I've heard a lot about cold weather. I met a lot of new friends here, learned more about the country (especially about architecture and museums).
Roger share his feelings after his trip to St. Petersburg on his Facebook page
— Talking about your photo project. How did the idea of it come to you?
— I live in a country where sexual harassment is a major problem for women, all women around me are suffering from it starting from my family and ending with my colleagues , you always hear stories from them but you can't help all you do is support them with your words , and this is only the courageous women who are ready to share their stories , I saw how much suffer and stories they bury in their souls , I also hear a lot of dreams about a safe streets and environment , it's unbelievable when one great dream for some women in Egypt is to wear a nice colorful dress, there I got the idea of opening their closets which inside their homes and minds and talk about their dreams and fears.
— It is about the attitude to women. What is your personal attitude to the feminist movement?
— I think the feminist movement have many different shapes and groups with different targets , it's very useful to keep the voices out there so that people know that there is a problem and it need to be solved, of course like any other movement some initiatives is very radical and does not fit or help in changing the societies , it can just make it more complicated and distract people from the idea of the movement itself which is giving women their rights, and by this I mean that the work of a feminism group in Europe might not fit for women in Asia or Africa because the problems differs from a place to another, but all in all I think it's important for societies to see this loud voice out there as a warning sign.
— I think the feminist movement have many different shapes and groups with different targets , it's very useful to keep the voices out there so that people know that there is a problem and it need to be solved, of course like any other movement some initiatives is very radical and does not fit or help in changing the societies , it can just make it more complicated and distract people from the idea of the movement itself which is giving women their rights, and by this I mean that the work of a feminism group in Europe might not fit for women in Asia or Africa because the problems differs from a place to another, but all in all I think it's important for societies to see this loud voice out there as a warning sign.
— What do you think, will the situation change in close future?
— I'm not very optimistic at the moment but I know there is a solution but it takes a lot of time, and determination not only from individuals but from stakeholders and governments by making strong laws that can be implemented on the ground. So there is always Hope but it needs not only individuals to work but the whole society.
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