Resistance, ethics, and trauma
Or: Dispatches #18
When I was a wee boy, my mum took me to the dentist for my first tooth filling. To say I had, and continue to have, a sweet tooth would be an understatement, so a cavity even then wasn't out of the question. What happened on that, presumably, grey Airdrie morning would trigger my anxiety of the dentist to this day. For reasons that have been lost to the sands of time, the dentist opted to drill the tooth without anaesthetic. I've often cursed him for that decision, but in truth, I suspect I was at least partly to blame, as I'm sure back then I would have lost my tiny mind at the sight of a needle. Nevertheless, he drilled the nerve, and I've never quite recovered from it.
To be sure, I'm a lot better with it now. I've had many visits without incident. When I find a dentist I like, I stick with them, safe in the knowledge they understand I'll be a fragile wee wean in the chair. I don't need the anaesthetic, you say? Give me it anyway. Alas, past trauma matched with an unparalleled skill of kicking the can down the road has led to some pretty extensive work needing to be done over the next few months. I'll emerge from it with something of a dental-hygiene reset, I hope, but it's going to be expensive. And expense? Well, for a Scot, that’s a different type of trauma. Aye, well done, Neil.
Dr. Gabor Maté
Speaking of trauma, a group of friends of mine in a pro-Palestinian organisation recently hosted Dr. Gabor Maté on a speaking tour of Poland. A Holocaust survivor, the Hungarian-Canadian author and speaker is best known for his work on trauma and addiction, while also being an outspoken anti-Zionist and staunch advocate for Palestinians.
Dr. Maté travelled to Kraków, Łódź, Poznan, Wrocław and Warsaw, and spoke at length on the subject of Reflections on Individual and Collective Trauma: Zionism and Palestine. The speaking engagements were bookended by the two Warsaw dates, one at Nowy Teatr on the 8th June and another, focused less on Palestine and more on psychology, at Warsaw University on the 13th June. I was asked to photograph both, so I had ample opportunity to listen to the man speak passionately about rejecting Zionism and supporting Palestine. The opening event on the 8th was filmed, so you can watch it here, and you may even see me scurrying about in the background.
Street star
Last month, my friend and colleague, Jaap Arriens, suggested we make a short film of me out working on the street. The footage was to act as B-roll for an interview we did a wee while back, but having reviewed what we did on the day, Jaap decided there was enough there to make two videos for his YouTube channel, one with me working on location and another with the interview, itself. The film shows me photographing the Corpus Christi parade in Warsaw's old town and is interspersed with conversation and some photographs made on the day.
The plan, such as it is, will be to publish the fly-on-the-wall this month, then at some point later in the summer, we'll publish the interview. Most likely, then, Photos, mostly this month will be an introduction to this film. I'm excited to show it to you.
Ok, so let’s get to the news.
What's been happening this month
Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist for Reuters, David Swanson spoke to Ken Klein about his experiences on the ground during the Los Angeles anti-ICE protests. (Petapixel)
Ellen Corry writes about the Sir Steve McQueen-curated exhibition Resistance: How Protest Shaped Britain and Photography Shaped Protest, showing now at the National Galleries of Scotland. (Musée)
Coinciding with Gabor Maté's visit to Poland, and hosting his visit to Łódź, the Foundation of Visual Education organised their 2025 edition of Fotofestiwal. In Blind Magazine, Lou Tsatsas writes warmly about the festival. (Blind Magazine)
After the illegal US airstrikes on Iran, Donald Trump's White House released maybe the worst photos of a president to have been made within the Situation Room. Poorly composed, badly timed, and horribly post-processed. A true embarrassment. (USA Today)
Posing for a picture with California Highway Patrol officers during the aforementioned LA anti-ICE protests, where photographers and other journalists had earlier been shot with rubber bullets, Nick Ut continues to be a massive disappointment. (Instagram)
Dispatches from Substack
Starting with something essential, albeit behind a paywall: Mehdi Hasan's Zeteo group have acquired the film Gaza: Doctors Under Attack after the BBC commissioned then opted not to broadcast it. You can read an explanation of how and why Zeteo acquired it, and should you want to, subscribe to Zeteo's paid tier to watch the film. (Zeteo)
Michael Shaw takes us behind the scenes of some of Brandon Bell's photos made during Trump's limp de facto birthday celebration of a military parade celebrating 250 years of the armed forces. (Reading the Pictures)
In a thorough, thoughtful, and comprehensive essay, Sheridan Smith discusses her ethics and those of others at the recent anti-ICE and No Kings protests in LA. (Through the Eyes of a Photo Assistant)
For something a little less intense, Dan Jandl shows us some double exposures made on his Ricoh as he walks around at night. (Dan Jandl Photography)
In June, the Scottish Languages Bill was passed in Holyrood, establishing Gaelic and Scots as official languages in Scotland. To celebrate, Jackie Kemp gives some Scots words and phrases before leading readers through a familiar poem of my childhood, Wee Willie Winkie. (A Letter From Scotland)
Miscellany
For Miscellany this month, I'm returning, tangentially, to Dr. Maté. The doctor's son Daniel, has a podcast with comedian Matt Lieb. As its name suggests, Bad Hasbara is a staunchly pro-Palestinian show that offers a sharp, satirical critique of U.S. and Israeli propaganda efforts. They recently unlocked a premium episode with guest Antony Fantano discussing Thom Yorke's response to criticism of his silence on the genocide.
And Finally…
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