Lana Šlezić is Šlezića Canadian photographer and filmmaker.
Life and education
Šlezić was born in Toronto, Ontario, to parents from Croatia. She grew up in Port Credit in Mississauga, Ontario. Šlezić's parents have inspired her work in many ways. Her father was an amateur photographer, and introduced Šlezić to the art, by providing her with her first camera. Šlezić's work has also been inspired by her mother's eccentric and flamboyant personality. In addition, having parents who immigrated to Canada provided her with a perspective of what it is like to be an outsider, which is a major theme in her work.
Šlezić attended Western University in London, Ontario and obtained an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Kinesiology. She then went on to receive a Diploma in Photojournalism from Loyalist College in Belleville, Ontario. Šlezić graduated from Loyalist College in 2000.
Work
Photojournalism
In the past, Šlezić worked as a freelance photojournalist. Her work has been published in three continents, under titles such as TIME Magazine, The New York Times, and Chatelaine. Additionally, Šlezić regularly worked with publications such as the Toronto Star and The Globe and Mail. She has also contributed to Canadian Magazine, The Walrus.
Šlezić is known for making very beautiful work that also has content and meaning. She aims to tell a story through her work, and feels that it is rewarding when her audience understands the meaning behind her work. Šlezić says that she creates the idea of a photo in her head, and waits for it to occur in life so that she can capture it. She notes that this approach to photography relies on patience, luck, uncertainty, and chance. For Šlezić, the most important aspect of her work is staying connected to her subject matter.
In March 2004, Šlezić travelled to Afghanistan for a six-week magazine assignment. She was covering a story for Canadian Geographic on Afghan Women. Working on this story, she became fascinated with Afghanistan, but did not have freedom to explore the land. Being restricted and unable to travel throughout Afghanistan provided her with insight into the real situation that Afghan women face. This led her to extend her trip and stay in Afghanistan for two years. She decided to extend her trip to tell the stories of these women. For Šlezić, visiting Afghanistan became more than just a photojournalism assignment. She completely devoted herself to the oppression Afghan women face so that she could accurately convey its importance.
The Taliban fell in 2001, and it was assumed that the oppressive conditions for women had improved at this time, however Šlezić found that this was not the case. Upon arriving in Afghanistan, Šlezić discovered that many women were still facing oppressive situations such as forced marriage, forced prostitution, domestic violence, lack of education, and being forced to wear a burka. Most of the women Šlezić met during her time in Afghanistan had encountered a basic lack of freedom. Šlezić felt very naïve at her assumption that this problem had been dramatically improved, and set out to inform others of the reality of the situation. Šlezić's work calls for global attention to ideas of patriarchy, freedom, and control within Afghanistan.
Forsaken: Afghan Women
Šlezić created a photo book entitled, Forsaken: Afghan Women, that was curated from thousands of photos that she took during her time in Afghanistan. Forsaken has been published in five countries. It is a compilation of 60 images of women who have been negatively impacted by Afghanistan's social and political state. The photos in Forsaken are interspersed with texts about the oppression that these women face. The images and text in Forsaken are emotional and powerful. To take these photos, Šlezić shot in colour and used a Nikon D100 and a Nikon D2X. Šlezić was accompanied by a translator and was able to unobtrusively speak with, and photograph, the women she encountered. She was warmly welcomed by the Afghan women she met. They enjoyed having their photos taken and being able to share their stories with other women.