But what struck me most wasn’t the army, but the ordinary civilians. I saw exhausted men sleeping right on the roadside. It wasn’t just fatigue after work; it was total exhaustion. The signs of malnutrition were obvious.
The guides tried to distract us. “Look to the right, a new monument!” they shouted. But I looked to the left. I saw the real life that wasn’t supposed to make it into history.
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The ban on photographing people with signs of poverty was absolute. The regime wanted the world to see them as strong and prosperous. My photos were proof of the opposite. I felt like a criminal just for documenting reality.