For Jeff Topham, an attempt to retrace his steps ultimately led him down an unexpected path.
In the late 70s, he spent three of his formative years in Liberia. His fathers striking photos from that period inspired both Topham and his brother Andrew to become photographers. Thirty years after they left Liberia, the brothers returned to investigate the toll that two civil wars had exacted on their childhood wonderland. Their emotionally gruelling journey is recorded in Liberia77, Tophams 2011 documentary which screens April 26 at the .
Its still tricky to watch in some ways, Topham admits of his directorial debut. But, because of how the project continued to unfold, I think theres more closure. We see that we did do something in the end.
While filming, the Tophams discovered that the majority of Liberias historical photographs had been destroyed, taking with them memories of the West African nations better days. At the urging of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the brothers launched a website (Liberia77.com) aimed at rebuilding the countrys photo collection. For the last two years, people have been uploading photos of Liberia before the conflict, Topham explains. The count right now is close to 2,500 images.
Last December, we put together a selection of the most meaningful pictures. We went back to Liberia and mounted an exhibition, he continues. Again, it was an emotional trip but in a different way.
Tophams experiences have led him to reevaluate his approach to his craft. As a photographer, youre often so concerned with how things look, he says. Meanwhile, the Liberians he encountered were completely unconcerned about composition. People were just happy to have a picture of themselves. You realize how important photos are to people. It definitely has changed my sense about the importance of photography in cultivating identity.
