The Hidden Flow Of Leonte | Il flusso nascosto del Leonte (2016)
Hidden Leonte is a documentary project that disclose the different mandates of UNIFIL mission: day and night-time patrols, establishment of observation points, installations of Blue Pillar, monitoring of the Blue Line, clear of land mines, education, interactions and support with Lebanese civilians.
Italy, in order to contribute to the increase the assets of forces available to UNIFIL, participates in the international mission with “Leonte Operation”.
Embedded with Italian Army “Sassari Brigata”, my work explores the different underlying situations that arise in this undefined buffer-zone, always stay focused on the primary representative of the peacekeeping mission: the population of southern Lebanon.
Blue Helmets in Tyre.
The presence of UN soldiers in the cities or in the small villages of South Lebanon incites sensations of stability.
Night patrolling along the Blue Line.
After the recent terrorist attacks in Israel and Beirut, the land patrols have been intensified. In these photograph, a group of Italian soldiers controls Blue Line area.
Shama Sector West HQ, UNIFIL base. Bunker.
Shama HQ. Valerio in cold storage cell for food.
South of Lebanon is militarized by different contingent. During a visit of Republic of Korea Battalion, a soldier greets me.
Phoenician mosaic in Tyre, district of al-Mīnā’.
The UNESCO site needs for structural interventions for the conservation of cultural heritage.
Exploded mine.
Marker of Chinese battalion.
Military forces in Lebanon have alternated during the years. Throughout the territory, marker-stones delimiting the membership areas and the types of activities carried out.
Carmelo during disinfestation process.
Blue Pillar, symbol-object that marks the boundary line. Israeli border in the background.
The garden of the Tripartite Forum.
The Tripartite mechanism negotiated Liaison and Coordination Arrangements between UNIFIL, the Israeli Defence Force and the LAF (Lebanese Armed Force). The parties have also engaged in and are committed to implementing a pilot project for visibly marking the Blue Line on the ground, whose aim is to reduce the number of inadvertent violations and to build confidence between the parties.
The Lebanese cost near Israeli border.
Shooting time.
Tyre. UN soldiers patrolling with Lebanese Armed Force.
Patrolling in Naqoura. Inside “Lince” VTLM.
Labeeb, junk dealer in Tyre.
Fawaz, butcher in Naqoura.
Tyre, market walk.
Shama. Accommodations.
Tyre, “Al Hanan” centre for children with special needs.
Thanks to UN funds, rehabilitation centres have been built. Italy and Republic of Korea were the lenders of this centre.
One of the UN mission mandates is the training of LAF and growth of its authority in the territory. In this picture, French children visit the archaeological site of Tyro with soldier of Lebanese Armed Force and UN.
The civil war in Syria has triggered a massive influx of refugees across Lebanon. In this photo, an Italian doctor checks the status of a burn on the body of a Syrian child.
Night patrolling along the Blue Line.
UNP 1-31.
Blue Line. Israeli border.