Valeria Cherchi

Farouk and his lawyer during the trial against Matteo Boe. Screenshot from news broadcast (1994)

Me and mum, screenshot from family video (1992)

Matteo Boe, screenshot from news broadcast (1994)

Staged photograph inspired by memories of kidnapped victim.

Don Monni in his parish confessional. Mamoiada, Barbagia.

Investigating the case of Dori Ghezzi in the headquarters of Italian news broadcaster RAI.

Mario in a cave in Supramonte, Barbagia.

Piera portrayed as The Blessed Antonia Mesina.

View of mountains in Orgosolo, Barbagia.

Hanging white blankets in my village Banari.

LEFT - View from Cala Liberotto near Barbagia.

RIGHT - Masked man in Ottana, Barbagia.

In 2003 Luisa Manfredi was shot dead on the balcony of her home. She was 14 years old and the daughter of Matteo Boe, Farouk Kassam’s kidnapper. No-one was ever charged or convicted for her murder, which remains a mystery till this day. On 26th Dece

Some of you killed Luisa

16th June 1992: The upper part of a human ear is found by a priest on a mountainous road in Barbagia, central Sardinia. A young boy, Farouk Kassam, is spending his fifth month in a hidden cave, held captive by a group of masked strangers. The balconies in my village are clad with white blankets, a symbol of solidarity with the mutilated, kidnapped boy. We are about the same age, just six years old. Like most kids, I am also terrified of being taken away from my home. Eleven years later, Luisa Manfredi was shot dead on the balcony of her home. She was 14 years old and the daughter of Matteo Boe, Farouk’s kidnapper. No-one was ever charged or convicted for her murder, which remains a mystery till this day. In all 162 people were kidnapped for ransom in Sardinia between 1960 and 1997. The Sardinian bandits, known as ‘Anonima sequestri sarda,’ followed a set of unwritten rules called Il Codice barbaricino (The Barbagian code). Where the power of the state falls short, a rough justice-in-parallel served through the code, preserved the honour and the dignity of the individual. This project is an attempt to decode the complex structure of the Sardinian kidnapping phenomenon. It starts with a personal research of the small and closed communities of the island, weighed down by a past of isolation and colonisation. It then progresses to an individual level, reflecting over the desperation of two mothers: one unable to control the fate of her young kidnapped son, and the other unable to find justice for her murdered daughter. The story is told through screenshots from family videos and from news broadcasts related to kidnapping cases. It also includes my own photographs from the research process in Barbagia, as well as photographs inspired by the memories and stories of the kidnapped. Finally, there is a written account of my investigation, including my struggle to break through the wall of silence caused by the ever-present law of omertà.

Valeria Cherchi

Valeria Cherchi (1986) is an Italian photographer. She was born and raised in Sardinia, Italy. Her practice focuses on projects regarding social and cultural issues. Her research is driven by the need of exploring topics such as time, memories and history connected to her personal experience. She is interested in true and tangible character-driven stories, often told by combining photography and text. In 2018 Valeria is named as 'One to Watch' by The British Journal of Photography.