Young South African photojournalist Kevin Carter dreamed of fame and tried to be in the thick of it. He could not even imagine that just one reportage photograph would show him both a bright rise and a terrible fall into the abyss. The shot was called “The Girl and the Vulture.” He did this in Sudan in 1993. Kevin Carter, South African journalist (left) On March 25, the wings of a small plane carried him with a group of journalists and humanitarian aid from different countries to a country engulfed in civil society chaos. war Famine, suffering and death reigned in this forgotten corner of Africa. His task was a brutal truth that needed to be told to the world and the general public shuddered at the terrible picture that appeared before their eyes. Tormented by hunger and disease, the exhausted people lay right on the ground next to the runway, waiting for some kind of food. And he, gritting his teeth, filmed and filmed everything he saw in front of him, living and dead, children and adults… He wanted to show the world the scale of the disaster and the terrible conditions in which the population found themselves. But what he saw next turned his life upside down. In order to get at least some relief from the nightmare of what had happened, Carter decided to go out into the fields outside the village, but even there he discovered an even darker picture. A small child, exhausted, tried to crawl towards the UN food warehouse. Kevin thought it was a girl. Every movement was difficult for her and, apparently, with pain. The crooked stance and frequent stops spoke eloquently about this. The same photo that spread all over the world. He was looking forward to easy prey, waiting for his consciousness to leave this exhausted body. Carter realized that this was the moment that simply needed to be seized so that everyone could see the merciless reality of hunger and despair. He took a few pictures, watching to see if the vulture would spread its wings. It would look more dramatic and sinister. He then chased the predator away and returned to the plane. The next day, the photograph “The Girl and the Vulture” was published on the front page of the New York Times, and then in newspapers and magazines in all cities and towns. Under posters with this photo, the community collected things, money and food to send to the starving. Popularity suddenly fell on Carter’s head, and with it fabulous fees and invitations to the most prestigious publishers. Carter received the Pulitzer Prize for this photograph, but his joy and success did not last long. The publication caused many conflicting reactions. On the one hand, there was recognition of the ability to capture such a powerful moment, and on the other hand, he was faced with accusations from readers of indifference and inaction towards the child, a barrage of criticism and indignant letters to all authorities. increased. Publishers one after another refused to cooperate with him. Colleagues and even friends turned their backs on him. They believed that he decided to become famous by taking advantage of the tragedy of Sudan. Kevin was left without a favorite activity, without a livelihood and in a state of severe depression. Alcohol and illegal substances invaded his life. Until the end of his days, Carter could not forget the girl with whom he took his most famous photograph. And when his only friend, Ken, who supported him, died, Kevin couldn’t stand it. Leaving a suicide note, he committed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning. This happened just a year after the photo, on July 27, 1994. The debate about whether the journalist should have saved the child continues to this day. João Silva, a photojournalist who took the photo at the same time as Kevin, said they were all strictly warned about the dangers of direct contact with local residents. They didn’t even recommend shaking hands. The chance of contracting one of the deadly infections was too great. However, even this statement did not stop the persecution of the reporter. A few years later it turned out that the child in the sensational photograph was a boy. Bloggers noticed a plastic bracelet attached to his wrist. Deciphering the code on its surface showed that it was already being cared for by a UN mission and that perhaps its parents were also nearby. The baby survived. His name was Kong Nyong. But he did not live long and died of fever in 2008. In memory of the journalist, British musicians from the group Manic Street Preachers composed a composition dedicated to his work, and it was called “Kevin Carter”. The tragic history of the famous photograph also interested cinema. In the feature film “The Bang-Bang Club,” one of the plots tells about the life path and last days of Kevin Carter.
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