Several of her works have been exhibited and received awards. Among others, she and a team received the Grimme Online Award in 2022 for the multimedia reportage »Kandvala«. In 2023, Ambrosio’s long-term photographic essay »Fragile as Glass« won the Residence Prize of the Portraits – Hellerau Photography Award.
You can also find out more about Sitara on Instagram from January 22. Until January 26, she will take over the laif account and report on her work.
laif conducted an interview with her:
I am still working a lot on the ongoing war of aggression in Ukraine. Together with my Ukrainian colleague Yana Radchenko, I have spent the last six months working on a major investigation into war crimes committed against queer people by Russian troops. The project was supported by the N-Ost journalist network. A report on it will soon appear on Fluter.de and later another report on the same topic in the Amnesty Journal.
I’ve also just returned from Georgia, where I photographed the ongoing protests in December. Now I’m on my way back to Ukraine to work on an environmental story with a colleague there – I’ve also had a permanent apartment in Kyiv since the end of last year and am trying to spend a lot of time there over the next few months. I’m also keeping an eye on the latest developments in Syria and am in contact with colleagues I’ve already worked with there.
Apart from that, I’ve often asked myself in recent weeks and months what the future holds for humanist values in our society and in Europe. As a photojournalist with a focus on human rights, I am very concerned about the current social situation and the debates.
I believe that good journalism is more necessary than ever in these times. We need independent journalism based on a set of values. In view of the strong Russian propaganda that is having an impact in large parts of Europe and also in Germany. But even in times of a shift to the right, where minorities and those affected by discrimination are once again being used as scapegoats, it is important to show what is what. That’s why my work for me means above all talking to those people, making their stories accessible and not stopping to rub salt in the wound when it comes to highlighting grievances.
Sometimes I find it difficult. I think that’s how many people feel right now. But I have also seen that we humans are capable of doing really good things. I report on wars, deal with pain, fear, grief and loss. But I also see courage, strength and humanity. I have met people on my travels who go beyond their own limits to help others. Who support each other in dark times. Who stand up for democracy and human rights. Sometimes they do this under difficult conditions – and still don’t give up. These are the encounters that give me courage. Then I often think: if they don’t lose hope, then I can’t give up hoping either.
This is a very complex topic. I was very happy about social media platforms such as Instagram for a while because I had the feeling that many people could access topics without major obstacles such as payment barriers. I still feel that way to some extent. However, I now feel that the problems that these platforms bring with them are much more prevalent.
Fake news, for example, spreads at breakneck speed. Complex topics are sometimes presented in a very abbreviated way and taken out of context. A culture of debate and error is only possible to a limited extent. These are all problems that can influence the way we live together and the way we see the world. And we must not forget who operates these platforms. In the case of the “X” platform, we can see what happens when tech billionaires like Elon Musk are in control.
Taking photographs always means having to question yourself. If you are working on subjects that need to be treated with a certain sensitivity, then you should be aware that photography also has a certain power. The dignity of people who have experienced war crimes, violence and displacement, for example, should come first.
That’s why I also like to work with portrait photographs, because then you can take the time to get to know the people. Another option is to photograph people anonymously in order to protect them. To summarize: It’s first about the people who confide in me, then about the photography. Of course, reportages don’t just consist of portraits; you accompany situations, you get involved. But even when documenting missile strikes, for example, where there are casualties or fatalities, you can ask yourself: which photos really need to be published and in what context do I place them? These are all questions that require a certain amount of care and sensitivity. It is necessary that we document the harsh reality.
It’s a mixture of many good reasons. I really appreciate many of the colleagues who are part of the agency, the employees and also the network. Another reason is that it is important to laif to represent photography with attitude. Even before I became part of the agency, I followed many of the photographers and their projects. laif has now been around for over 40 years. That’s 40 years of contemporary history that has been documented. I have great respect and admiration for that. As a young photojournalist, I am delighted to now be a part of it.
