The Inter-Generation of the Bosnian War in Pictures

Abstract

Abstract-The Bosnian War allows for a fascinating glimpse into trans and intergenerational studies. The rape victims (and other war victims) themselves are first generation while the children born during the war, either as a product of rape or not, are caught in a poorly defined category as they are not simply a second generation born after the war. They were born during it and bear metaphorical wounds from it. Regardless of their biological lineage, the children of Bosnia are coming into a broken world. This 'generation' of warborn babies can to a great degree fit into Susan Suleiman's description of the 1.5 generation. However, it does so only loosely. Photographer Ziyah Gafić calls the children "Generation Zero." By presenting the lives of these young men and women through photographs, Gafić gives his viewers a chance to see for themselves and empathize with the stories he is trying to tell. Several noted photography theorists, including Marianne Hirsch, Susan Sontag, and W. J. T. Mitchell shed light on how photography can be so influential.