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Interview with Lissette Lemus, the Salvadoran winning photojournalist by the World Press Photo

José Manuel Ortiz Benitez

I do not know her, rather did not know her until now, but this woman must have something special in her guts besides her temperament and skill with the camera.

She started kicking in this profession, normally dominated by males, nearly 10 years ago and now this good woman, of curly hairs and oriental looks, not only has managed to excel in this tough and exciting profession, but has become the reference of photojournalism in the region.

She says that what was in her work agenda that quiet morning of October 15, 2008, was the mission of a few snapshots of schoolchildren in a small school in Ilopongo (El Salvador), typical images in which you are asked to show the happiness, the innocence and the coexistence of the children in the playground, the dedication and zeal of the teachers in the classroom, for a report on teaching and education in her country.

The result of that job that morning was quite different from the happiness originally sought in the faces of the school children.

After watching the terrifying result of her shot that day, magnified in the plasma of her computer, this brave photojournalist confesses that she went on several nights without sleeping.

Sleepless photojournalist, she had enough cause, the picture, she took, carries a nightmare in itself that goes beyond her profession. It is a tough to swallow visual framework perfectly captured in a sober moment, austere, tragic, glum, which projects a larger image that stirs intestines and consciences alike and, ultimately, serve as a graphic political statement that denounces solemnly the national tragedy and grief that the Salvadoran people suffers every day in this tiny central american country.

The full light of the hard noon only adds more sharpness and contrast to the tragic scene, which is already extraordinarily shocking.

I do not know what part of the image terrifies more, the woman lying on the arid asphalt with a pool of blood gushing from her head, or that mixture of perplexity and autism drawn on the faces of the children of the minibus.

I leave you with a short interview I did, on Saturday February 14 2009, to Lissette Lemus, the award-winning photojournalist from El Salvador by the World Press Photo Foundation.
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Do you know that your name and image have been around the world in major news networks and international newspapers. How does it feel?

I am very pleased that the work of a photojournalist in El Salvador is recognized in one of the biggest competitions in photography. Besides trying to show a reality, I wish, from this profession, to raise awareness about the problem of violence in my country.

You are fighting in the world arena, with the monsters of communication such as the New York Times, CNN, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, Time Magazine, etc.. How have you achieved that?

This competition has the advantage of being open to all photojournalists in the world, and I think that being there is an achievement that I was following in the footsteps of a vocation for which I am proud.

For a journalist, this kind of recognition can open many doors to the international media. Would you consider a job in the big ones such CNN, the Washington Post or the New York Times if it the opportunity comes?

Actually, I have not had a chance to sit down and think about that.

The image is cruel, overwhelming. As the author, what does the image suggest to you?

After taking that picture for many days I spent time thinking about the value of life, the psychological impact that the scene may have caused to the children riding in the minibus.

On average, in El Salvador, are now killed 12 people a day. What does that terrible image of our national violence tells you?

It is the reality that many people live in our country in our everyday life.

Do you think the Government of El Salvador is doing everything it can to eradicate or reduce the levels of violence in the country?

I believe that not only is the responsibility of government is also a shared responsibility of all Salvadorans.

*Member of Salvadorans in the World
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18 comments :

  1. To my friend Manuel,

    Good work, I did not know you were a journalist.

    Please, add me in your post from now on.

    El Frentudo de Chirilagua.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Brillante nota. Excelente.

    Retrato excelente de un retrato.
    Doloroso que seamos el pais mas violento del mundo y/o que nos disputemos ese lugar con paises extremos. Y 12 muertos diarios son una muestra de la inoperancia del gobierno ARENERO. Tony Saca y el ex-jefe de policia (actual candidato a presidencia de arena) no han hecho con valentia y honestidad su labor contra la delincuencia. Lejos de eso son complices por omision.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Poor writing, short interview, I as expecting more from this writer who thinks is the best in both English and Spanish.

    No so fast Mr. correct your mistakes and misspellings first.

    ReplyDelete
  4. PUCHICA... QUE POCA ESCUELA TIENE JOSE MANUEL ORTIZ, NECESITA QUE LOS DEL FORO.NET LE DEN UNAS CLASESITAS DE COMO SE HACEN LAS ENTREVISTAS.


    YO PENSE QUE TENIAS ESCUELA PERO YA VEO QUE ERES BRUTO COMO YO. Y EN INGLES ERES SUPER BRUTO; CORREJI LOS ERRORES ORTOGRAFICOS..JAJAJAJAJA

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hay gente aqui que odia por razones oscuras este blog.

    La cobertura de esta noticia ha sido la mejor que he ledio en todos los medios nacionales: el faro.net, EDH, contrapunto, etc.

    No veo donde estan los errores, quizas el autor deba aclarar por que lo atacan tanto sus lectores.


    EL Chele Julian

    ReplyDelete
  6. pensate a me pure ! io non capisco l'inglese dovrei prendere delle lezioni è importante assai giacche ormai sembra essere che l'inglese prenda il vento per diventare la lingua universale! ciao ragazzi! se non capite non è colpa mia ok? se io non sapessi usare il tradottore automatico sarei fregato ma meno male che qualcosa capisco!

    ReplyDelete
  7. First at all I would like to congratulate Miss Lemus for the winning award amoung so many participants around the world.

    My first tough when I saw the name of the Salvadoran woman was of happyness and proud but at the same time reluctant to accept the reality of our tiny country on which 12 or more people are killed every single day.

    Who´s responsible to that reality?

    I bet you is the Salvadoran Goverment in such order who cannot stop thruout a integral plan to combat criminals and also is the population who does not stop to buy the violence that is imported from USA in so many movies, that these movies are hyhacked.

    A BETTER GOVERMENT, WITH ANTI-CRIME PROGRAM OF COURSE, CAN GIVE TRUST TO THE SALVADORAN POPULATION IN ITS FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS TO SEEK A PEACEFUL SOCIETY.

    Finally, I would like to reffer to the comments writen by anonimity at 7:35 today, I suspect is the same person that doesn´t understand or is playing always when he or she mislead Mr. Ortiz is bad writter in English and Spanish Language.

    Furthermore, I challengue this person to write an article in which we can read and criticize in both languages and see how he or she is good bilingually.

    Is it fair to ask such thing?

    Tambien me quiero referirme a la persona que escribio a las 8:37 tambien de este dia.

    Porque no nos das clases de ENGLISH GRAMMAR y porque escribes tu comentario en Español sabiendo que esta escrito en Ingles, tratando de minimizar el esfuerso de Ortiz ?

    Sera que deseas llamar la atencion de tu reducto de personalidad insegura?

    Ya te leeremos mas tarde con otra barrabazada y favor de compartir elementos validos del articulo y no ataques a la persona que escribio... paisanos,
    NO LES PARECE ALGO PARECIDO LO QUE HACE LA CAMPAÑA ARENISTA CON LA ESCRITURA DE ESTE SINGULAR BARBARO CORRIGIENDO EL INGLES EN IDIOMA ESPAÑOL A JOSE MANUEL BENITEZ?

    NO SEAMOS RIDICULOS QUERIENDO HACER PASAR DE VIVOS COMO EL GOBIERNO ACTUAL DE ARENA.

    Gracias Manuel por tu articulo !

    We hope more English articles can be exposed to our select Salvadoran English speaking people!


    Saludos,


    Jose Matatias Delgado Y Del Hambre.

    ReplyDelete
  8. wtf?
    cual es el proposito de una entrevista en ingles de un hispanoparlante, a una hispanoparlante, para una audiencia hispanoparlante en un blog de hispanoparlantes?

    pregunta solamente...

    ReplyDelete
  9. Te respondere a tu pregunta.

    La mayoria de la diaspora, si no has leido, estamos ubicados en paises donde predominantemente se habla Ingles esto es USA, de donde proviene la mayoria de las remesas.

    Ahun cuando nuestro idioma nativo es el Español, el Ingles es parte de nuestra formacion tanto profesional como en nuestros hogares biculturales en USA.

    Si te molesta que hablemos y escribamos en Ingles entonces te deberias de molestar que el dolar que tenes en el bolsillo este en ese idioma. Lo que te sugiero es que si no entendes Ingles, metete a una academia del idioma de Shakespeare y examinate para lograr tu TOEFL que es necesario para competir en una sociedad forzada a emigrar hacia el norte.

    Solamente te hago una sugerencia:
    No te metas a unas clases chavelas que en USA ya no mucho tienen creditos de buen sistema, el cual es INGLES A LA CARRERA porque solo te van a sacar el pisto.

    capish?


    Saludos,

    Jose Matatias Delgado Y Del Hambre.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Lissette es ahora un personaje global, este blog se lee en todo el mundo. Puede que eso sea una razón.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Yo creo que el pueblo guanaco es ya un pueblo multilingue.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Si no fuera por la violencia que nos ha heredado arena y rodrigo avila, esa señorita no habria ganado ese premio.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Yo nunca votaria por un asesino confeso como Rodrigo Avila para presidente.A él le gustaria ser el orgullo de D'aubuisson autor intelectual del asesinato de San Romero. Ademas Avila ha fracasado rotundamente en el combate de la delincuencia... Ahora somos el pais mas violento de las américas. Esto no lo debemos olvidar jamas en el momento de votar.

    ReplyDelete
  14. alguien sabe como se chifla "la vieja" en ingles? pa' chiflarselas....hombre!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Si me traducis al Ingles:

    ¨Sana sana kulito de rana un pedito para vos y tu nana¨ ... te digo como se chifla en Ingles la vieja... ois?


    Pimienta Roja.

    ReplyDelete
  16. what-a-naco:
    heal heal little frog's ass, a little fart for you and your fat-ass momma!

    (whistle whistle whistle)
    phew phew phew!

    ja ja
    Good work, I did not know you were a joker!.

    Please, add me in your post from now on.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Cause was a good translation I have to tell you how is a English whistle:

    SHHHuiwhhsiiit ! or if you preffer do last ssssssssssshhhuuuuuissshit !

    jajaja

    Good one, last coment on Feb 29th, 17:00.


    See ya !

    ReplyDelete

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