About the author

Born in Algeria, in the region of Great Kabylia, Samy Berkani grew up between plains, mountains and urban settings in the cities of Tizi ouzou and Algiers. He saw the countryside empty of its population, which came crowding in the cities. Sirocco, hot weather and summers by the sea are his first memories.

A film camera in a drawer, without film, without batteries, without life. The sound of the shutter release intrigues.

But childhood and innocence quickly give way to doubt and misunderstanding. Algeria lives the darkest hours of its history and a civil war hit the country for ten long years. Algerians hold their breath while waiting for better days. He will not leave his Kabylia during this period, except for a trip to the south of the country. He discovered the Sahara, its fennec foxes and gazelles, its oil and its Algerians with different skin colors.

In the desert, a bloody man standing in front of his Lada car completely flattened. He has just been a victim of crossing a herd of camels.

In 2005, his baccalaureate in hand, Samy Berkani flies to France. He discovers that the french culure is different from “France of TV” (broadcast in Africa). He leaves the Djurdjura mountains for the Jura mountains. He lived a few years in the Paris before settling in Lyon to get closer to Jura, his adoption land. It was at this time that he held for the first time a reflex camera in his hands … he will not leave it.

... He sees the old man leaning on his cane to move forward. He stops, dismounts and takes a few pictures. When the old man spoke, Samy thought that he had just captured the accent of eastern France.

Samy Berkani began his career in the Bresse region of the Jura, where he fell in love with Icelandic horses, his first photographic subject. He spent a few minutes, then hours, and ended up staying there, in the middle of the herd, observing their behaviour and their beauty. When the lights went down, he took the first images that made him dream. The Jura, the snow, the white, the minimalism, the cold… Samy Berkani understands his interest in what is simple. His sub-Saharan body is not made for the cold. A layer of fleece will replace the fat he lacks.

... At night, in Jura mountains, photographing the starry sky far from the light pollution of the cities, he hears strange noises, unknown cries... He was afraid, because we are afraid of what we don't know.

A fox he comes across on a walk, a small herd of chamois grazing on the Jura plateau, a curious but cautious squirrel – nature gradually reveals itself to Samy Berkani. He would like to be able to observe these animals for longer… so he hides and waits. A wild boar, a roe deer, a fox… here he is, plunged into the adventure of wildlife photography.
He was used to photographing people in the street, but getting involved in the discreet lives of animals was a whole different kettle of fish. So he got involved, equipped himself and spent a lot of time doing it. He discovers another world and experiences some very special moments. He also understands what humans do to nature and sees photography as a tool for militancy.

... They had been standing face to face for a good ten minutes. He slowly lowered himself to a sitting position. He plucks a tuft of frozen grass and pretends to graze. The young chamois finally lay down on the ground without taking his eyes off Samy.

The Jura is the gateway to the Far North. Samy Berkani flew to Sweden, then Iceland, then Norway… The Nordic adventure was one of continuity. On the island of Senja or the cliffs of Husavik, he experienced great serenity. He felt creative. The extreme cold stimulated his mind. He dreams of far away places, always further away, colder, Spitzbergen, Greenland… one day…

For his first photo project, Samy Berkani chose his first love, the Icelandic horse. He set off to meet them in their natural environment, on the edge of the Arctic.