Koudelka, Shooting Holy Land

Award for Best Essay, FIFA 2017

Director Gilad Baram follows Czech photographer Josef Koudelka from one enigmatic and visually spectacular location to the next as he travels through the Holy Land. In each location a new scene unfolds, gradually introducing us to Koudelka’s method of working and his perception of the world he is documenting and of the people he encounters. Austere images of landscape divided by concrete walls and barbed wire reveal the horrifying absurdity of the conflict. This long-term study of the photographer is combined with photographs from Koudelka’s private archives, giving viewers an intimate look at the solitary creative process of one of the masters of contemporary photography.