Laurence Deonna, Swiss writer: "During all the time of communism it was for us a big black cloud on the geography map"
-
Writing, journalism and photos ... which played the first role in
your life?
- Before being postponed, I did a lot of jobs. I worked in particular in an international gallery of paintings. But I finally chose writing. Because through writing you can tell your feelings. I like the picture but I find that for the feeling the writing is better. I come from a family very involved in politics. My father was a great politician. I have spent all my life in politics. Writing and politics led to reporting. I started reporting in 1967 during the war between Israel and the Arab countries. My first report, I didn't have a dime! But when you want, you can. I managed. I found a plane ticket. As soon as I was there I felt that this is my road, this is my way. And since then I have never stopped. I covered Iran, Syria, Iraq, Yemen etc. I’ve done a lot of books and movies. I always choose difficult countries. I'm writing my thirteenth book, from my memories. I never wrote romance novels, I prefer to live them myself. I wrote essays. I have translated many poems. I also did a lot of photo exhibitions. I was in Central Asia during Gorbachev's time. I really like this region. I have reported in Achkhabad, Dushanbe, Tashkent, Baku and Tbilisi. After the fall of the USSR, I thought it would be interesting to go see Central Asia. Obviously, Central Asia is huge. If I finally chose to write a book on Kazakhstan, it is because this country is very interesting historically and we talk about it very little. I wrote a long chapter in this book on the German women in Kazakhstan. Many Germans arrived during the Second World War, sent by Stalin to the Gulag, from Karaganda.
- And you are also a photographer?
-Indeed, I have done many exhibitions in New York, Canada, Paris, Geneva, Rome etc. They say that I take beautiful photos, but no photo will ever give me the pleasure of a beautiful sentence, never.
-
Why did you become interested in the USSR?
- The Soviet Union was for me a "Terra incognito" An unknown land and that. During all the time of communism it was for us a big black cloud on the geography map. We didn't really know what was going on. It was mysterious. I always thought that the communist ideology at the base was a beautiful idea. But unfortunately in practice the result has not been great. That said, there were good things in communism, like education. I have always been very interested in the countries of Islam. I've been to South America, but I'm not interested in it. It is not my biotope. The Arab world, Central Asia, Persia touch me. But, the Soviet Union also had dark sides. I had an uncle who was the Chamberlain of the King of Romania. In 1947 he was arrested by the Soviets in Bucharest and spent 10 years in a cell without ever seeing a person. Afterwards, he was sent to a Gulag for 7 years. All because he was an aristocrat. After his release and we bought it from the Romanian government for $ 62,000. - So you were happy with the fall of the Soviet Union? - Yes, He was extremely happy when the Berlin wall fell in November 1989. But economic reality is another reality than sentimental reality. This economic marriage was very hard for the East Germans. And it still is today. That said, freedom, freedom is very good. But the fact that the United States of America is the only great power on the planet is not a good thing. It is a huge and extremely complex problem. Obviously I was happy that the Soviet Union fell but under what conditions? Corruption is endemic ... I saw in Kazakhstan old women who sold on the sidewalk in the middle of winter a cup, a plate ... And this Nazarbayev and his daughter who buy a villa in Geneva for 72 million francs, while in their country people are dying.
-
What do you think of journalists in general?
- I was saying the other day to an American journalist that you can't understand a country without knowing its past? We live here in a Europe that has known nothing but wars for centuries. And Switzerland is a very special country. Switzerland is a kind of miracle. Why? Because it is the only country in the world where the different regions have applied themselves to join, while the other countries have been made by wars. It’s completely different. Economically German Switzerland (70% of the population) is the strongest. (20% French speakers and the rest - Italian speakers) Switzerland is a marriage of reason, it is not a marriage of feelings. It is also difficult, such a small country with four languages: German, French, Italian and the very minority Rethoromanche. - What languages do you speak yourself? In addition to French I speak English, Spanish, Italian, German and a little Arabic. Multilingualism is a great asset. Americans who speak only one language and believe themselves everywhere at home do not realize how impoverishing it is. In Europe there are 17 languages. And not small language is large languages. Speaking only one language is a poverty of the mind. Because each language is a world.
- And what do you think of freedom of speech?
- Freedom of speech is a relatively recent thing. At home in all the countries of Central Asia, freedom of speech is a new thing and you have the Khans. Here in Switzerland, it's better but believe me, it's not perfect. There are taboo subjects. - Does there exist in the world a country the freedom of expression is total? France, Italy, Germany, the United States? - No. Not even the United States, it's a cowboy mentality. Europe and the United States are completely different. It is incomparable. Europe is a place of architecture, of culture. America is not refined. Too bad that today everything is Americanized.
- During
your life as a reporter have you had any threats? - And how! I have
even been arrested in Syria, Iraq, Iran. When I returned to Geneva in
1967 I was threatened because I was pro-Palestinian. I am known as a
person who has always supported Palestine. I was very, very scared in
Iran. I was arrested in Machhad, near the border between Iran and
Afghanistan. I was reporting on Afghans who were taking refuge in
Iran. Security put me in a car and locked me in a cellar. I thought I
would never get out of there ... Fortunately, I had a very
intelligent Iranian guide. It was a horrible place.
- Are you interested in feminism?
- Yes, forever and I will continue until death. Switzerland out of seven ministers has four women. It is a beautiful image. I am very happy. It's amazing. But in real power, industrial economic power, there are almost only men.
-In Switzerland, women had the right to vote only in 1971, right?
- Yes. But why? So late? Nobody really understands the Swiss political system. Unlike all the other countries in the world, where it was the parliament that voted for women, in Switzerland it was a popular vote. All the men from Switzerland voted yes or no.
- Are you proud of your country?
- Everyone loves their country. More than the country itself, it is the people who have done it that I admire. That said that dislike nationalism is a real disease. Me, as a writer, I feel closer to a woman writer or journalist in Kyrgyzstan or Argentina, than this lady who lives near my home, who has the same passport, the same language, the same skin color.
- What do you think has changed in society more than anything else?
- Technique, techniques, more than ideologies.
Zhenishbek Edigeev, journalist from Kyrgyzstan edigeevj@gmail.com
