Courtney Bonneau is waiting for us in a café in Groningen. She is spending some days in the city she lived in over the last 14 years before returning to Lebanon, her base. Bonneau is a freelance photographer focused on documenting conflict and post-conflict areas: besides Lebanon, in her career, she has worked in Israel, Palestine, Iraq, Syria, and Iran.
Born in the United States, Bonneau feels a Groninger. She works at the University of Groningen when she is not travelling the Middle East. “Having both a Dutch and an American passport helps. I can decide which use each time – but I usually choose the Dutch one,” she explains while we kick off our conversation.
Bonneau is not the typical conflict zone photographer. She does not focus exclusively on wars, crimes, or the aftermath of a raid but also on the human side of these places. On her Instagram profile (@courtneybonneauphotography), Bonneau posts photos of people, lives lived, skies, and smiles. “People always smile when they look at my camera, even during a protest,” she says.
How long have you been a photographer involved in conflict reporting?
Since 2014. I always loved photography, but I got into conflict reporting when I went to visit a friend in Tel Aviv. I’ve always been fed with Western media, and I wanted to see what was happening in the West Bank. I took a bus to Ramallah, in Palestine, and when I arrived, I couldn’t believe my eyes.
I thought, “I need to do something. I can do something. I have the privilege of going in and out of the West Bank, and I should use it.” These war crimes are being committed now, and people are not seeing them on TV. For me, doing conflict photography, unveiling these crimes, is a form of activism.
How?
I do activism through artwork, photography and also fundraising and charity work. I just had a gallery show in Boston. Another show is coming up at the beginning of next year, again in the United States. I have a permanent exhibition at a UNESCO World Heritage site in Mosul, Iraq. I aim to spread awareness of what’s happening in these conflict regions, especially in Lebanon.
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Why did you base in Lebanon?
Lebanon is in a constant state of crisis. There are several layers of problems happening in Lebanon all the time. So that’s always a good place to photograph humanity. I do a lot of fundraising and charity work, and I bring medicines with me. Seventy-five percent of the people there now live under the poverty line, and medicines are tough to get. So I carry them with me during my trips.
You were in Iran during the latest wave of protests after Mahsa Amini, 22, died in custody during her detention for wearing the hijab inappropriately. How did you make it, considering how difficult it is to get a visa now?
I planned to visit Iran for the anniversary of the 1979 revolution – when Khomeini came in. So I applied for a visa back in August. I was in Beirut and told myself, “I have a valid visa; things are really kicking off. I should just go.” And I went because I felt the worst that could happen was they would turn me away at the airport. I arrived at the airport, and the whole area for foreigners to register was shut down. So I waited in line with all the Iranian people, and when the customs guy asked me, “How did you get this visa?” I told him the truth: I had applied before everything started, and now I had decided to come. “Well, good luck, welcome to Iran,” he replied.
What did you see during your journey?
I’ve been to Iran several times; I love it. The people, the country… It’s beautiful. The food is fantastic, and the hospitality is unparalleled. This time, it felt different. The feeling was police-state, martial law, especially after dark. Riots, military lines in the streets, and squares, many of them wearing balaclavas, something scary to see.
I’ve worked in conflict zones before, and this is my job – this is what I love to do. But I’ve never worked in an area where having a camera is a death sentence. They could shoot me. I saw the police gun down protesters and gun down people on scooters. I watched them shoot a guy on the street and then beat the woman with him. They were just indiscriminately firing into crowds. When they first started firing near Tehran University, the demonstration hadn’t even started. Troops just stepped out into traffic and started shooting at people riding scooters.
Is there something that impressed you the most?
The kids. They are so brave. I was walking back to my hotel one day, and I got chased down by a group of kids. They were like 13 years old. They were making arts and crafts, drawing and writing anti-regime slogans. They gave me one. When the government shut down the Internet, one of them came to my hotel and wrote down the location where I should be for the next gathering. They were writing stuff on paper and giving it to people because there was no other way to communicate. And you can be arrested for tweeting.
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What is the biggest challenge in doing photo reporting from these conflict areas? Do you feel unsafe?
I never feel unsafe. I know people that work for large media outlets, like NPR, or the BBC, who go to these places with security teams and fixers. When you do that, you give people in camps – or wherever – the feeling that they are to be feared. You’re dehumanizing them. So I never bring security with me because I don’t feel I need it. Honestly, I’m more afraid of going to the United States and getting shot. I’m more likely to get hurt back home than in the Middle East.
So, you travel alone.
Yes, I always travel alone.
What have you learned from your experience as a conflict photographer?
To avoid planning. I got some death threats from Balochistan Province in Pakistan in 2019 because I had planned a trip and needed armed security. Some local tribes found out I was coming, so I had to cancel the trip.
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Which are your favourite subjects?
I love to photograph humanity because, in the end, we are all the same. Militant groups, politicians, celebrities, people living in refugee camps: we are all human. I love photographing people who think nobody can see them, like in traffic. Humanity inspires me. I try to show with my work how people make the best of what they have.
Do you think your work may inspire someone else?
I hope it inspires people to look beyond what they see in the Western media. I hope it encourages people to travel to these places, go out of their comfort zone and realize that it is not unsafe to go to these areas. They can experience something new. Or donate money to people who need it. I’m trying to humanize these areas to the West, so I hope it inspires people to do good. That’s what I want.
