Kabristan-Land of graves

• Prize
  Silver in Press/Feature Story
• Photographer
  Simone Mestroni, Italy
• Date of Photograph
  2017-2018
• Socials

Kabristan, meaning graveyard in Urdu, is an attempt to represent the paralysed potential of Kashmir's conflict, the mixture of anthropological and ideological elements temporary static like tombs, but ready to explode into a new stage of violence. The project was developed in Srinagar, the valley's main city and the core of the Kashmir's political history, and it blends different aspects of the relation between people and the pressure of the past, primarily perceived as a deadly atmosphere which intertwines with inner and outer landscapes. Based on a long term ethnographic research, the essay

• Biography
  After completing his PhD Simone dedicated himself in conveying his academic and anthropological background into more "usable" filmic, narrative writing and photography languages. During his long term ethnographic research in Indian Kashmir he got especially interested in the moral background surrounding and producing political violence and the relations between aesthetics and ethics of conflicts. His first documentary, “After Prayers”, was realized with the support of Wenner Foundation Grant and was awarded at Vienna Ethnocineca, Etnofilmfest and Film Southasia fest.
• Awards
  Deeper perspective award (non pro) at IPA Silver medal in conflict/editorial at BIFA Excellence in visual anthropology at Vienna doc fest Best debut film at Filmsouthasia