Greg Marinovich
There are a number of things in photography that often need no introduction. Cartier-Bresson, James Nachtwey and The Bang Bang Club. I loved the reading about the Bang Bang club when I was in SA during their reign, who did? There I was a young english lad thinking “christ, this lot are off the scale with the shit they are doing, look how close they are to the action!”.
The Bang Bang Club, for those not familiar, was a name given to Kevin Carter, Greg Marinovich, Ken Oosterbroek and João Silva during the Apartheid years here in South Africa. The name itself was a result from an article in Living magazine, with residents of the squatter camps referring to the violence in the townships as bang-bang.
When it came to being in the thick of the action, this lot couldn’t have gotten any closer. The guys weren’t your usual pretend conflict photographers and often the violence and suffering was aimed at them. On April 18th ’94, Ken Oosterbroek was sadly killed by cross-fire and Marinovich was seriously wounded. In July 1994, Kevin Carter committed suicide and more recently, João Silva was seriously injured in Afghanistan whilst on patrol.
As with any story like this, Hollywood came knocking and a movie about their lives has been made, aptly named The Bang Bang Club
Whilst Greg has been busy supporting João’s recovery, he did take time out to answer a few questions I had about him and the rest of the chaps.
As one of the members of the Bang Bang Club, how does it feel to have Hollywood woo you and produce a movie about your lives?
It is odd, at times nice for the ego, but mostly uncomfortable
Talking about the movie, what’s it like seeing actors play you and your friends on screen? Did the director rely on your input as to how certain
scenes were, or did they apply their own creative view to your lives?
very much a creative view, based on some facts. mix of accurate and fiction
You’ve spent the past 18 years documenting conflict, has that had a long lasting effect on you in any way?
no why? joke, of course, it has both hardened and sensitized me
The early 90′s in South Africa were a turbulent time, what was it like working as a photographer during that period?
extremely difficult, exciting, scary
When yourself and Ken were shot in Tokoza, ultimately ending in Ken loosing his life, did this change your view of your chosen career or did it have the opposite effect?
no changes at all. we all expected that something like Ken’s death that might happen. as for Kevin, that is not related
What do you feel are some of the struggles faced by photographers in Southern Africa today?
lack of decent work opps.
I highly recommend you purchase the Bang Bang Club book and see the film when it comes out.
Thanks to Greg for taking time out to answer a few questions.
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