Es war einmal oder nicht

From his numerous travels through Afghanistan, Roger Willemsen brought back hundreds of children's drawings, essays, and letters - moving documents from young people whose everyday life is war. During his last trip, which took him from Kabul to the Panjshir Valley in the autumn of 2012, Willemsen visited some of these children. His extensive report on this journey, along with the images and texts of the children, paints an accurate and often surprising picture of life in Afghanistan - not only its dark moments but also its joyful ones. It is the life that remains when international troops leave the country. "As sensitive as I am when it comes to trying to evoke pity for children, I could only capitulate to the wisdom and maturity, the kindness and vitality of these children." Roger Willemsen.