"It is just too much work." "This whole area." "It's more than I can handle." "So much work." "He's suffering." "We work hard." "But we're not making any money." "We've had enough of this company." "First I have to do this part." "Then the other part." "The next day I continue." "It takes three days to make half a dollar." "What can I do?" "Are you fishermen?" "You've got big fish here?" "AII sorts of fish." "We'II go ashore here." "Is that all you caught?" "That's all the fish?" "It's not a Iot, is it?" "That's it." "I suggest you fish for something other than fish." "This is what we do." "I am a journalist." "Fantastic." "What is your name?" " Richard." "You can't give them anything they don't already have." "You shouldn't." "What you should do is train them, empower them." "There are new opportunities." "The world has changed." "There are new markets, new products." "How are you?" " Fine, thanks." "Your destination?" "until the end." " Where do you come from?" "I simply want to understand." "We come from back there and we go up there." "World Bank Conference." "We've wrapped it up..." "The donors have made available 1.8 billion US dollars." "Our fellow journalists surely have some questions." "please introduce yourself." " I'm Renzo Martens." "Dutch." "I'm making a film here in the Congo." "This annual contribution  1.8 billion dollars, I believe." "How big a part is that of the Congo's total revenue?" "That's very kind." "What's the share..." "This 1.8 billion dollars, what share is that of the Congo's total revenues?" "And ifit is a high percentage  I'd Iike to know whether the fight against poverty, for which this money is destined, may be an important natural resource for the Congo?" "Or even the most important?" "First of all, poverty is not a natural resource." "Poverty is a shared defeat for the entire international community." "It is true that development aid  brings in more money to the Congo than copper or coltan or diamonds." "Even if combined." "But it's normal." "That's how a post-conflict situation develops." "That's right near our place." "Do you plan to buy any pictures?" " I just bought three." "Of your plantation?" "Yes, these..." "Very nice." " These are your workers in the photos?" "probably, yes." "Workers for peace." "Ndeke, the Congo." "What strikes you in these images?" "In seeing these images  they remind me of the countryside, the way our ancestors lived." "They still live like that." "It makes me happy." "Don't you think these people are suffering?" "Sure, they suffer." "Indeed, the people in our country suffer." "Do you think these people are poor orrich?" "Which ones?" "well, these ones." "Or that one..." "Orthat one." "Poor." "How many days does it take?" " Two or three days." "You see, that's three days." "I started from there 'til here." "I have to go on until I reach there." "Three days to finish one day's quota." "It belongs to Mr. BIattner." "It's a group of 24 companies." "This is a commercial plantation." "We grow palm oil and coffee." "Our company sells to another that exports." "Where do you export to?" " We export to Europe, to belgium." "Your shirt shows the various companies of the group?" "Where can I see it?" "It belongs to Mr. BIattner." "You are the personnel manager?" " The chief of personnel." "How many workers are there here?" "We use 924 hired Iaborours  and about 5 000 temporary day workers." "What can I eat?" "I'm not sure what she's cooking." " Let's look." "Can we have a look?" "That's what I often eat." "After work I eat manioc leaves." "And here I have  some more leaves to feed the children with." "You see these leaves?" "That's what I can offer the children." "It's all there is." "What is "mouse" in LingaIa?" "Is that a mouse?" "What's that?" "It shows the figures of the whereabouts of malnourished children  that we collected." "What do the figures show?" "Afew villages show lots of malnourished children." "Which ones?" "The plantations at Ndeke and at Lisafa." "In what context did you gather them?" "In a humanitarian context." "Wth which organisation?" " Wth Doctors Wthout Borders." "Come in." "This is the letter they used to fire me." "I don't understand." "It states:" ""Our hiring policy..."" ""... depends on the need for labour."" "But you continued to work?" " I'm still working." "I go to work every day." " But now without any contract?" "The contract is terminated." "If you're hired like me as a day labourer after years you're given a contract." "And then you're fired." "It goes round and round." "Got it?" "That's how it is." "AIife  of sorrow." "She did not sleep?" " She never sleeps." "She's got sores." "swollen eyes." "The anus  one big sore." "These are her feet." "Nothing I can do." "Such a mess." "That's the village doctor." "hello." "hello, doctor." "I spoke with a doctor who explained  kids of farmers are healthier than kids of those who work  for a company." "That is correct." "Kds of plantation workers are not in good health?" "No, most of these children are malnourished." "So you confirm  that people who work for companies have malnourished children, whereas..." "I confirm." "If you enter the plantation settlements, you'II find confirmation of what I say." "These are the workers' quarters." "You think they're OK?" "There should be a difference between the employed and the unemployed." "Since a worker gets paid at the end of the month." "But nevertheless they live like this." "They live like those in the bush." "The villagers live even better than us." "These are the plantation workers?" "The children of the plantation workers." "This is your child?" " His." "He's just lost three children." "Due to lack of money." "How could he feed his children with 4 dollars a month?" "Even one child." "could you feed it with 4 dollars?" "That's the palm oil factory." "That's the plantation." "You can see ifit's weII-maintained." "It should be like a garden." "It needs to be extra clean." "people need to be able to walk, so they can easily haryest." "That's a nice plantation." "These are in bIack-and-white." "They're more  you could say  artistic." "This one's seen from above." "It's hard to see." "It's artistic." "It's not about showing the factory." "That must be one of your workers." "He pushes these grains towards a raster." "Nothing special." "I visited some of your plantations." "I've noticed, and was told even by your medical staff, that even on yourpIantations are many malnourished children." "That's possible." " I reckon this is not in your interest." "I see it's not your fault..." "But how is this possible?" "The issue is at what point does malnutrition begin  and how to define it." "well, children with edema, with..." "Are they workers of the company?" "It's very possible." "Doctors Wthout Borders is in Basankusu." "These are figures from their nutrition center." "It shows the number of children from these areas." "And we see, for example  16 children from the plantation at Ndeke, and 15 from Lisafa." "absolutely." "16." " It shows where the children live." "Let's consider  16 compared to..." "We have 2 000 workers." "They have 3 or 4 children each." "That makes 8 000 children." " Very likely." "Out of 8 000 or 10 000 children, there are 16." "Now, are these 16 due to lack of money to buy food?" "Or are their families  uprooted?" "Or is the father a drunk who beats his kid?" "In the West there are also problems due to so-caIIed poverty." "It all depends on the percentage." "16 out of 8 000, I think is not so bad." "Or even 100 out of 8 000." "Is it a question of money?" "One wonders." "This child is malnourished." "She suffers from edema and weight loss." "Now she's hypoglycemic." "Buy some sugar." "Hurry." "What's that?" "Water with sugar." "What will happen to the child?" "well, this child  I don't know." "It's hard." "This mother..." "surely, she didn't have the money to save the child." "The child will die." "Doctors Wthout Borders." "No, sir." "You have no authorisation." "Why would I need authorisation?" "Are you strengthening your capacity in this region?" "No." "We're moving to another region." "The situation is worse elsewhere?" " I don't know." "I couldn't tell you." "But you're leaving here?" "Yes." "Why did Doctors Without Borders leave?" "normally, they should be where the need is greatest." "That's in their charter." "I can't explain it." "They had all the data." "They, too, are aware of all the figures." "Now that you mention it, it's really curious." "I don't know how to explain it." "Since they left here, they're only in the east." "Indeed, just in the east." "Where the resources are, too." "Wait a minute." "What do you see?" " Pauvreté." "No, it's not "pauvreté"." "It's "poverty"." "It's in english." "For the audience, it needs to be in english." "We speak LingaIa and French." "The people who will see this, the white people, they speak english." "AII these letters together mean..." ""Enjoy"." "That means "I Iike"." ""Linga", it's an imperative." "Linga..." "Poverty." "Let's enjoy poverty." "That's it." "See, here at MongbwaIu, there's always been  a big foreign mining company." "They could not operate during the war." " They left because of the war." "Now this zone is safe." "This is one big belt of gold." "Prospects are positive." "Forthe company our presence is great." "We make it safe." "What plane is that?" " That's a prospector's plane." "Acompany that gathers samples." "They come and pick those up?" "Yes, they'II come get these." "What's in the bags?" " Mabanga." "What's "mabanga" in French?" "Rocks." "What do they look for in these samples?" "Ask him." "He's the expert." "To find..." "To search for gold." "What company is that?" "AngIo gold Ashanti." "Does your plane also bring medicine?" "Yes, if there is medicine." "If there is any." " Medicine for your men?" "AngIo gold Ashanti apparently buys  medicine for the locals." "You control everything?" " control." "You also control samples?" "control." "One would think that since you have so much gold, you should be rich men." "We don't know." "It's something underground." "The naked eye can't see it." "Why did the UN deploy to this place?" "To crack down on the militia that were here." "Why was the militia so active here?" " Because of the gold." "The presence of the UN forces is instrumental to your operation?" "definitely." "The local militia got scared of the UN forces." "The firepower they've got..." "No need to compare to what the militia got." "The UN forces got a Iot more." "It makes our job a Iot safer." "So we can do what we have to do." "How come the people of this village orthe CongoIese government  why don't you extract with big machines like these your gold?" "We don't have the means." "No capital." "Where do we go now?" "We're going to see the corpses." "And the strongholds." "There are corpses?" " Somewhere around." "Have journalists already photographed them?" "I don't know." "Can I call you back later?" "." "We have positioned our men on that hill." "They're all over." "You have many men?" "alot." "The only difficulty is how to feed them." "As there are so many." "It's hard without the villagers." "They help us out." " They're paying the price for the war." "They are not the ones paying." "They don't have money." "But they feed you." "Sometimes they're killed." "They have to flee." "Yes, they are fleeing." "But they are our parents." "We are their children." "When we fight, it is forthem." "We are the ones losing." "We die in battle." "They benefit from us." "We defend them." "The Americans are getting their share." "Whetherit's the Europeans, the Americans orthe Chinese  they're all out to get their share." "Here it's as if we're a well." "Each of them comes to draw water and heads home." "When I'm President, the first thing I'II do..." "If I'm President..." "When I'm in Knshasa, the gold I extract from here, from Ituri  it must first go towards building Ituri before it goes elsewhere." "It's a photographer's shop." "Amazing." "Where are you from?" "I'm from italy, but I'm based in KgaIi." "I coverthe Congo and the region." "I work forAgence France Presse." "Studio "BoIingo"." "Paris-styIe photographs." "How much do you get for one picture?" " 50 dollars." "You have to make a Iot to coveryour expenses." "No, expenses are paid." "fully paid." "When you're making this documentary and if it's like fornews  when it has news value, then we pay around 300 dollars." "Per?" " Per story used." "usually our stories are not more than a minute and a half." "Right." "What kind of stories do you need?" "The only time they're interested in stories is if there's something negative." "So usually it has to be a disaster or a humanitarian crisis." "Dead people." "But if they have a nice parade or a carnival, we're not interested." "I understand." " But it's not me." "It's supply and demand." "It's a market out there." "Who is the owner of these pictures?" "Whose property is the picture?" " I am the owner." "I can use it if I want to make an exhibit, a book." "You don't have to pay for that." "And the people in the pictures?" "The people you have photographed  are they the owners of the pictures, too?" "No." "You are the owner?" "." "Those you photographed own nothing?" " No, because I took the pictures." "I'm the photographer, the author of the pictures." "But they organised everything that is in the picture." "You just came and made the picture." " What do you mean, organised?" "They made the situation you made the picture of." "But not due to me." " No, not because of you." "No." "Yeah." "Sure." "But it's me that made of that situation a picture." "There are thousands of situations." "I choose the one that I think is a good picture." "And that makes that picture mine." "You are responsible for this camp?" "For another camp." "Not for this one." "How is the situation of the refugees?" "It's a really, really bad situation." "There are more and more new arrivals coming in." "They're traumatised." "They're suffering." "Are all the plastic sheets with logos?" "Most of them, yes." "If people want to have no rain on theirheads, they have to have a logo stuck on theirhouse." "What do you mean?" "For exampIe, they don't like the rain." "They want to be dry in the evening." "Then they get plastic sheeting and it always has a logo?" "Most of them have it, yes." "What if they don't want a logo?" "Is there any sheeting without logo?" "In the new site, created by UNHCR, there's some sheetings without logo." "But these were donated by the government." "But Unicef, UNHCR, they all have a logo." "Why is that?" "visibility." "Hi, this is Jesse speaking." "Hi, Jesse, this is Renzo Martens calling." "Thank you for being there." " No problem." "I read your report." "It's very interesting to me." "could you elaborate on it?" "I think when most people think about aid, they imagine it's providing  hospitals or schools or that kind of thing." "They don't realize that between a quarter to half of all aid  is spent on technical assistance." "I think I read in the report  that 70 to 90 percent of some country's aid  flows back to the country that gave the aid." "exactly, yes." "It's when the donors effectively are putting their own interests  above the interests of the poor countries that aid is supposed to help." "To whom belongs poverty?" "The fundamental question is:" "to whom belongs poverty?" "If it can be sold, it's important to know who's the boss, the owner of that poverty." "Since it brings in money, donors, even individuals like perhaps my father, who says: "How awful!"" ""Look at those photos of children in Africa who can't even go to school."" ""I'm going to donate 50 dollars to this orthat NGO."" "So, you're not only beneficiaries of the good will of others  of NGOs and agencies that come to help you  and then you should be endlessly grateful." "No." "You are also actors  important actors in this world." "If poverty is like a gift that creates deeperunderstanding, you also give it back to the world." "people come to visit you." "It's something that makes us happy, in a way." "There will always be people visiting you, taking pictures, supposedly funding projects." "Then they will have the pictures." "Let's say they will have freely captured your poverty, while you don't benefit too much." "It's a resource." "What does "BoIingo" mean?" "It's our company's name." "Can you show me your shop?" "This is where we work." "It's the studio." "Is "BoIingo" yourfamiIy name?" " "BoIingo" means love." "Are there any photographers here, too?" "We're here." "I take photos." "This is what you usually make?" "It's for birthday parties, ceremonies and weddings." "That's what we do here." "How much do you charge?" " One print costs 75 cents." "Perpicture?" "dollar cents?" "When I first came here the town was deserted." "But I came with many journalists who were taking pictures." "I ask myself..." "You take pictures of people  when they have a party." "And the photographers that come from Europe and America  they don't come to film parties." "They come to film misery." "Why do they do that?" "That is forthe Americans to know." "They know what they need." "But what do you think?" "You have no opinion about this?" "You need to make choices based on rationality." "Not based on traditions." "For exampIe, we fish because our ancestors did." "We need to calculate if fishing is profitable  or could there be something else more profitable." "There are two options." "Parties." "And here we have..." " War." "War." "But be more specific." "In fact, it's raped women and corpses." "Two rolls of film." "It costs... 3 dollars." "developed twice." "That costs 6 dollars." "That makes 12." "19.4" "So, 34 times 0.6 equals... 20.4" "So here we see  that you make 1 dollar per month  by making pictures of parties." "Option Photographing War." "20 photos per month  times 50 dollars." "That makes... 1 000 dollars." "If you take note of the difference," "Option Photographing Parties has 1 dollar of profit per month, afterhaving deducted the costs." "As forthe Option Raped Women, Corpses  and let's add here malnourished children..." "We see 1 000 dollars per month." "You see that  the two options are not the same." "I..." "I think even if we film corpses and raped women  and malnourished children..." "We still won't know where to sell them." "We have no access to the market." "In any case, we hope that you'II help us." "For exampIe, Iike this is fine." "If the logo is not in the picture, it's useless." "You're too far." "Get closer." "closer." "You have to find a good position." "You have to try and improve." "You have to tell him to work." "AII of this." "The man, the grass, the situation." "It's you who chooses the right moment to take the picture." "Even though he creates the situation  it's him working, it's his house..." "You choose the moment." "As a result, you are the owner of the image." "Not him." "Can we take a picture here?" "Yes, but calmly." "Mr. Aniseth, I think the best image is inside, with the child." "You must ask permission." "Yes, with the child." "She says her husband died in the conflict with the rebels." "Just recently?" "Yes, she came here alone." "So you could take the photo and call it "Wdow of War with child"." "Thank you, sir." "God bless you." "please help me." "I have four children." "That's all." "I have no food for them." "They're hungry." "You see how people react." "Let's leave it at that." "unfortunately, that's all we have." "I just explained we did not come here to help people." "We just came here to registertheirprobIems." "And maybe there's a way to transmit it to those above us." "Mister, where are the children most severely malnourished?" "Most severely malnourished?" " Is it here or next door?" "It's everywhere." "especially here." "On this block." "Yes, you should take a picture." "That's too fast." "You have to take your time." "You have to move slowly and find the right angle." "Take yourtime." "Have journalists come here before?" "Yes, some came by but we never saw the pictures." "They were journalists from Doctors Without Borders." "When the photographers came, did you undress them for the pictures?" "Yes." "You have to understand, if you make of this situation  2 or 3 good photos, that's enough." "You shouldn't have 30 000 photos." "If you have 2 or 3 that are strong..." "That's why you must choose the worst cases." "Like that you can immediately show..." "Here you see the ribs." "If the public sees that, they will immediately understand the situation is extreme." "These are photos  that you can sell." "These you can sell." "You need to choose your subject very well." "help Africa  to take charge ofits own resources." "Now, we'II give the word over  to this friend who has come to visit us." "Let us hearwhat he has to say." "It's all yours." "Thank you." "You're not merely people in need of aid." "You're also people that aid the rest of the world." "So now we launch the publicity forthe viewers back home  or at gallery exhibits." "surely, they will be open to the idea  thatAfricans are taking charge of their own resources." "OK, that's all." "Taking charge of one's own resurrection." "Right." "Right." "I'm encharged with coming to you  and explaining what's going on here." "We are, above all, poor." "Lack of money." "Lack of... what else." "If you have time, why don't you come to the refugee's place?" "I have some kind of community-based group meeting  telling them how they're important people to the world." "welcome." "Nice to meet you." "One of the most interesting things I've seen." "I work for a Finnish newspaper." "It's finland's biggest paper." "We came across this." "You as an artist, why do you do this?" "It would be good if the poor understood that poverty is actually a resource." "Nothing more to ask..." "except your name." "Renzo Martens." " Renzo..." "Martens..." "What I'd Iike to ask  I ask myself if we continue to photograph  malnourished children, raped women  or other photos of war  will they give us a card like this?" "Apress card?" "Yes, a press card." "That's what we want." "This?" "Yes, this." "We'd Iike one, too." "unlimited access everywhere." " It's the UN that issues these cards." "Doctors Wthout Borders." "hello." "We're here to see Mr. Fred." "You are Renzo?" "I'd Iike to present to you the photographers of Kanyabayonga." "The essential question here is  the photographers present here today have noticed  that international photographers report on malnourished children, ... raped women, etc  and that there's more money in this than in parties and weddings." "So we'd Iike to ask you  if they, too, Iike the international photographers, can come photograph inside yourhospitaIs, if possible." "You're asking if they can photograph us so that they can sell theirphotos." "That's what it boils down to?" "Yes." "Does that sound right to you?" "Here, I'II be careful with what I say." "I'm responsible for my patients." "I'm not here to make an exhibit of their misery." "I'm not here to use my patients, the malnourished mothers and children in our care, in order for one to make money." "I'm not here so that the logo of Doctors Wthout Borders  can be stuck in a photo to make cash." "There's no way." "But the international photographers sell pictures, too?" "No, that's part of communications." " But they sell them, too?" "If a photographerfrom "Libération" or "The New York Times" or whatever  comes to coverthe Congo, would you deny him access because he's making money?" "No, because he's here to make news, not money." "We know exactly why these photos are taken." "It may seem shocking to you, but it doesn't shock me." "But the overall problem remains." "They who live in poverty can't benefit from it themselves, while many others..." "hold on a sec." "Take this photo here." "You need to produce things that..." "I dunno." "Let's put these side-by-side." "This is not to humiliate you." "It's just that to sell images demands work." "Making an image is more than pushing a button." "I think it will faiI." "fall?" " I think so." "They say yourphotos are not good enough  because you have no press card, no internet access." "I have the impression there are many obstacles." "But obviously you can still photograph parties and..." "I think we can put it here." "AII overAfrica there are plantations like this one, where people earn so little." "If you're going to wait foryour salary to grow  so you can be happy, you'II be unhappy your whole lives." "We'II gladly accept whatever you can do for us when you get back." "There's nothing prepared." " There's nothing prepared?" "Once you go back, you can't deIiverreports?" "Why did you come?" "To tell you you better enjoy poverty, ratherthan fight it and be unhappy." "Do you want to remain unhappy all of your life, because of poverty?" "No." "You need to accept things the way they are." "Be happy despite poverty." "If there's change..." " No, no change." "If you accept what you cannot change  you can have a bit of peace in your hearts and minds." "WII you project the film here?" "The film will be shown in Europe, not here." "Thank you." "We don't want to fight." "We want to be happy despite poverty." "That's good." "We accept to be happy despite poverty." " That's what I wanted to tell you." "Experiencing your suffering makes me a betterperson." "You really help me." "Thank you." "The children are enjoying this a Iot." "These children are preaching to them  and bringing them the good word." "How to live with suffering." "How to endure suffering." "See theirjoy." "Now, the child has died." "who is filming his own action art project." "It has caused considerable offense..." "III-pIaced project." "The United Nations should revoke his press accreditation." "blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God." "Here you go." "vegetables and fish." "Meat." "I thank you." "They've eaten very well." "I need to thank you, too, for the Iabouryou supply almost for free." "I think it's almost impossible foryour situation to change." "You will always have a job with low wages." "In Europe we don't want cocoa or coffee orpaIm oil or coltan  we wouldn't want it to be more expensive." "Listen here." "please." "Aman needs a salary." "Whatever the price." "Aman needs  a good salary." "How long have you worked here?" "How long?" "10 years." "Do you have a TV set?" "Do you have a TV set?" " Here?" "I don't own one." "Do you have electricity?" "Running water?" "AbicycIe?" " Nothing." "Aradio?" " Nothing." "You've seen my house." "Asuit?" " Nothing." "Leather shoes?" " Nothing." "If you haven't been able to obtain these in 10 years," "I don't think you will anytime soon." "little one, which logo do you Iike?" "That's a logo?" "Yes, a logo." "explain to me why you're doing this." "Why a logo?" "You don't want it?" "I just ask because I want to understand." "It's a good thing." "I authorized you, I see good in you." "You helped me." "They've eaten almost everything." "Eat the Iast bit." " OK, thank you." "shall I eat it?" "Thanks for offering." "Mr. journalist  in your country  is your life as hard as ours?" "We're badIy-treated here." "We're used like beasts." "Astrange situation." "Stranger than ever." "It's weII-prepared." "really well done." "If we could eat like this, I'd be strong." "Wthin 3 days I'd be fat." "To eat such food is grand." "God exists." "I couId never have imagined  eating so well." "Together with my children." "Tastes good." "I thank you very much, Mr. Ren Jones." "Renzo." " Ren John?" "Renzo." " Ren Jo?" "Ren-zo." " Ren Zor?" "That's right." " Ren Zor!" "Very fine." "Thank you." "It's not easy in spite of best intentions to help people benefit from their talents from their own resources." "You never know what the outcome will be." "One needs to be aware of one's own vanity." "And I know I am capable of vanity." "It saddens me." "Man, that river is black." "crocodiles and piranhas and otherthings in there." "Big snakes." "Fish that go: "na na na"." "So who are you?" "Who are you?" "I'm Renzo." " Keith Snow." "How are you?" "I'm a human rights investigator and a journalist." "War reporter." "I've been working in the Congo." "Trying to document the interests behind the war  and the awful human rights atrocities  that no one's really covering." "How did you get here?" " I've been traveling downriver." "From Bogandanga, upstream on the Lopori." "Anyway, quite a stream, when you're afraid of everything being bitten off." "I wasn't thinking to meet a white man here." "No, it's quite unusual." "Are you here to pillage, rape and steal like the other white people?" "No, I teach them how to deal with life." "Yeah." "What about the water?" "." "It looks black." "It's very black." "You look down." "You can't see anything except your own fear."