photo_talks: What Moves You?
José Cabezas
José Cabezas presents his personal project History Dancers, a decade-long documentation of the traditional dance of Los Historiantes in rural El Salvador. Also known as Moros y Cristianos, this celebration was adopted by the native population from the Spanish settlers over 300 years ago and features reconstructed costumes based on memories from the past. This tradition has transformed through the years and is one of the most deeply-rooted cultural expressions in the identity of Salvadorans. This project grew out of a professional frustration: as a Reuters photographer, Cabezas focuses on El Salvador — a country known as one of the most violent places in the world — and has covered gangs, gun violence, homicides, police brutality, women’s rights violations, disappearances, and forced migration there. His frustration grew at being unable to publish topics beyond violence due to commercial expectations, and so he began to pursue personal projects — including History Dancers — that go beyond this common narrative and highlight the dignity of people who resist violence, and who have found in their culture and identity a way to keep morale high. Ximena Natera leads the conversation and the Q&A after the presentation.
José’s images of El Salvador have been published in outlets including Politico Magazine, The New York Times, Stern, El Pais, and The Washington Post. In 2014, he joined Thomson Reuters, covering breaking news, business, and daily life for the agency. Most of his work focuses on issues related to gun violence and gangs in El Salvador, as well as the exodus from the North Triangle region. His essay “Truce Among Gangs” was screened at the Visa pour l’Image in 2013 and his work received an honorable mention in the Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar 2019 contest. He is currently working on personal projects related to the culture and identity of the native peoples of El Salvador and the reality of young people in Central America, where he explores image through alternative methods and film.
visura.co/cabezas/bio
Ximena Natera is a visual storyteller born and raised in México City. She has been a member of La Red de Periodistas de a Pie since 2013, a national journalist network that aims to improve journalistic practices and safety across México. This experience has shaped her understanding of storytelling, focusing her work around human rights violations, stories of resilience, and the way in which technology can be used to spread stories. Her work has been recognized by the National Journalism Award as well as the Gabriel García Márquez Award. In 2019 she attended the Documentary Program at the International Center of Photography in New York. She is currently based in Brooklyn.
