Digital platforms of all kinds, and also theyre places where events go on, so they become very social. And i do events in libraries myself. I do readings for little ones performances, or i do readings about whats happened to me in my adult life, too. For adults. These events are nearly always free, and this encourages people to read and inquire and to find out about the world beyond themselves. But also, of course, libraries are places where you can find out more about yourself. You can regard them as mirrors as well as windows or doors that you go through. So, theyre incredibly important places. Now time for the weather with Stav Hello there we saw a lot more sunshine around across england and wales on tuesday. It was less gloomy and humid as well, but a cooler, fresher feel to things for the middle parts of the week for pretty much all areas, and well see a mixture of sunshine and showers. Now, this area of High Pressure has been trying to push in from the west to settle things down.
But then there are images, which maybe speak even louder. My guest is motaz azaiza, a Young Palestinian Photographer whose work has been seen by many millions around the world. He left gaza after 108 days of war. What impact have his pictures had on him, and on us . Motaz azaiza, welcome to hardtalk. Thank you for having me. It is a pleasure to have you. Take me back some years. The Young Motaz decided to take up the camera to start taking pictures in gaza. What was your motivation back then . My motivation was because i dont want to be a useless person. I was in High School and ifound my passion in photography. Because my father used to have, Like, a camera and i have a big album for me when i was young and i started taking pictures, capture everything. You say capture everything. What interests me is that for many years, while there was conflict in gaza there were various israeli incursions, hamas were operating in gaza, there was conflict, there was death, there was bloodshed your f
I don t want to be a useless person. I was in high school and ifound my passion in photography. . . . . Because my father used to have, like, a camera and i have a big album for me when i was young and i started taking pictures, capture everything. You say capture everything. What interests me is that for many years, while there was conflict in gaza there were various israeli incursions, hamas were operating in gaza, there was conflict, there was death, there was bloodshed your focus for a very long time was onjoyful subjects. Life. On beauty, on life and love. Because i m someone like, i hate wars, i hate the bombing, i hate the occupation, i hate everything. And because of the picture for gaza now, for the people outside, they think gaza is all about war and they think there is no life there. So i was the one who wanted to create and to make, to create and to make this picture clear for people. So i was taking pictures for life, forjoy, for the daily life of gazans. Wars and aggr
And to, you know, describe the theatre and the Home Front and all the elements of war, but i was very worried whether i would come across as some kind of creepy tourist who was just kind of feasting on the unusual sight and ticking it off on a weird bucket list. That wasnt my intention, i was invited there, but im aware that its a sensitive area, isnt it . Oh, but you can see. I mean, vitaly, im sure, agrees with me that the reaction of ukrainians that you were there, they were very honoured, they were so pleased, because they know you, and also because you have become a well known advocate of what is a growing issue for ukraine, and that is how for ukraine, and that is how to deal with Mental Health. To deal with Mental Health. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. And thats why i went there. And thats why i went there. The elements, the way we cover olena zelenska, the first lady, olena zelenska, the first lady, she has, for a few years now, had these special conferences she has, for a few years n
Its a great pleasure to be in your presence, stephen. People in ukraine know who you are, they follow you, and they appreciate what you do. No, im thrilled to be here. It was extraordinary to visit ukraine almost a year ago, and i still think about it almost every day and follow whats going on in the news with puzzlement, hope, sometimes despair, and often bafflement. Wars are such complex machines, beasts, whatever we want to call them, arent they . And its very hard to understand them. And, you know, youre a journalist, you both have every right to visit and to be embedded amongst military and to, you know, describe the theatre and the Home Front and all the elements of war, but i was very worried whether i would come across as some kind of creepy tourist who was just kind of feasting on the unusual sight and ticking it off on a weird bucket list. That wasnt my intention, i was invited there, but im aware that its a sensitive area, isnt it . Oh, but you can see. I mean, vitaly, im su