In the bustling streets of La Paz, Bolivia, a sense of unease permeated the air as citizens lined up to file their land claims before a fast-approaching deadline. This striking scene, captured by photographer Rod Morris, provides a glimpse into the political tensions gripping the country in the lead-up to the 1993 presidential election.
As Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada’s campaign gained momentum, rumours swirled that any unregistered land would be seized by the incoming government. The people in the photograph, their faces etched with concern, clutched their documents as they waited anxiously to secure their property rights.
Morris, a British photojournalist on assignment for the Financial Times, stumbled upon this charged moment while exploring the financial district and government quarters of La Paz. “There was no way to be discreet when I took it,” he recounts. “My camera was quite loud, and you can see one of the people looking right at me.”
The image, which Morris later included in his “Still Films” series, captures a sense of tension and ambiguity. The figures form a chain leading towards an open doorway guarded by a soldier, creating a cinematic quality that evokes a narrative beyond the frame.
“There’s a degree of ambiguity – that’s something all my favourite pictures have,” Morris explains. “I don’t like my photographs to be too rigid or immediate, I want them to be imbued with the same sense of excitement and wonder I felt when I pressed the shutter.”
However, Morris’s experience in capturing this moment was not without its challenges. After taking the photograph, he was approached by plainclothes police officers who questioned him extensively about his presence and attempted to confiscate his film. Though he managed to avoid handing over his exposed rolls, Morris was subjected to a gauntlet of physical abuse from the officers as he left the police station.
“On the way out, I had to walk down a line of police who took turns to punch and kick me all the way to the door,” he recounts. “That was my warning, but they also told me I’d be followed and watched.”
Despite the harrowing ordeal, Morris’s photograph stands as a testament to the turbulent political climate in Bolivia at the time. By capturing the humanity and tension in this scene, he has created an enduring work that invites the viewer to ponder the complexities and uncertainties of the moment.