The wrong side. Living on the mexican border

Since the president Felipe Calderon declared an all out war on the 'narco'-traffickers in December 2006, Mexico has been plunged into a veritable civil conflict. The war declared to drug lords caused an unprecedented outburst of violence in the whole country. Under pressure for their lucrative routes, the traffickers are fighting both among themselves, and against Mexican Federal forces. The conflict has already cost the lives of over 50,000 people: narcos, policemen and civilians. In 2008 the photographer Jérome Sessini started the Mexican project: a dive into the drug cartels' war in Mexico. This compelling reportage, lasting two years, is a valuable document about the most dangerous cities in the country: Culiacan, Tijuana and especially Ciudad Juarez. In 2010 this work has been awarded with the F-Award with the mention: "Jérome Sessini's ongoing exploration of drugrelated violence in Mexico at the U.S. border is remarkable for its sustained engagement with an increasingly alarming and dangerous reality, for its attention to concrete particulars, and for its ambition to convey the scope and complexity of the conflict."