Magnum Edition Poster: Local elders meet in Afghanistan, 2010

Moises Saman blends traditional conflict photography with a deeply personal point of view. For more than ten years, he has been concerned with the humanitarian impact of war in the Middle East, documenting both the front line of daily suffering and the ‘fleeting moments on the periphery of the more dramatic events’. The Afghanistan Saman knows is a “land of clashing contrasts, of raw beauty, its landscape scarred by centuries of wars fought against foreign armies and with itself”. Since 2001, he has returned many times, with the hope of documenting the promise of peace and prosperity made by the latest invading powers. Marja’s new district chief Hagi Zahir (far left top) meets with local elders in Marja’s district center. Marja, Helmand Province. Afghanistan. March 2010.