The orchard keepers

Sinai, the land of extremes, is mostly in the headlines these days due to land disputes, drug trafficking or religious violence. But beyond the headlines, hidden in South Sinai’s mountain valleys, lie hidden orchards — tiny patches of green life dating back to biblical times and tended to by dedicated Bedouin from the Gabaliya tribe. I traveled to the Sinai desert in 2012 to photograph the remaining Gabaliya garden owners. The orchards could only be reached on foot through steep passes, so each morning I would hike to search them out. Sometimes I would just go for the day, and others for a week. Every orchard has its own distinct character, manifest in the way the walls were built, the crops that are grown and how they are stored and used. Some are meticulously maintained and are an essential source of food for families. Others are more symbolic. In one, a pair of old olive trees has been kept in memory of a family that spent many summers there. In addition to this photography collection, which has been published in a photo book, I produced a documentary film about the orchard keepers. The film describes the tender trap between a deep and meaningful tradition and the encroaching claws of modernity. The film will be screened and the book presented by Maria Golia (author of photography and Egypt) on June 10 at the Contemporary Image Collective (CIC) at 7 pm. www.TheOrchardKeepers.com