Rehab Eldalil on redefining representation in documentary photography
29 January 2025
Rehab Eldalil, a graduate of Falmouth University’s Photography MA (Online) course, is making strides in the world of documentary photography. From capturing the powerful narratives of her community to winning the prestigious World Press Photo award, Rehab’s work transcends traditional boundaries, blending storytelling with activism.
Her thought-provoking projects, such as 'The Longing of the Stranger Whose Path Has Been Broken' and 'From the Ashes, I Rose', amplify voices from North Africa and Southwest Asia, challenging colonial narratives and celebrating human resilience. Discover how Rehab’s journey at Falmouth helped shape her creative vision and propelled her remarkable career.
What initially inspired you to pursue photography?
I first started practicing photography as a hobby in high school. I’d just returned to Egypt after living in the US for a few years. When 9/11 happened, my family felt that it would be safer to return to Egypt. It was a very confusing time for me; it was the first time I experienced discrimination because of my ethnicity and beliefs, which skyrocketed after 9/11. But returning to Egypt was also difficult because I’d missed some cultural nuances during my time in the US. For a teenager, that was a major barrier for integrating. So, I turned to photography as a medium for self-expression. I didn't photograph myself, but I photographed the surroundings, as a way of grounding myself back to home. Then my interests turned to nature and wildlife and so I decided to pursue a bachelor's degree in photography at Helwan University, Cairo.
I was in my final year of university when the 25 January 2011 Egyptian revolution happened. Protesting and walking the streets of Cairo that day was the first time I ever felt at home – this is where I belonged. During the early years of the revolution, there wasn't much media covering of the protests, so I decided to take my camera with me. I continued to document the revolution and my personal experience until December 2011. Throughout this time, I co-authored a photography book about the revolution and this process made me fall in love with telling the stories of my community. So, after graduating, I pursued my career in documentary photography, focusing on telling the stories of my community and similar communities across North Africa and Southwest Asia.
While studying, I learned so much about ethics and representation in visual storytelling
Rehab Eldalil. Mahmoud 2019: From the series, 'The Longing of the Stranger Whose Path Has Been Broken'
Rehab Eldalil. From the series 'Kendaka Power'
How did your time at Falmouth shape your creative practice and professional path?
When I started my online Photography MA at Falmouth in 2018, I wanted to make sense of why I was working on this personal project for so long, and question why I couldn’t seem to finish it. Studying the MA helped me to make sense of my practice, and I was finally able to break the block that had been limiting me in developing my long-term project, 'The Longing of the Stranger Whose Path Has Been Broken'. While studying, I learned so much about ethics and representation in visual storytelling. And most of all, I discovered that I don’t have to abide to the traditional form of documentary photography; I can explore and experiment with new and different forms that solidifies the intention of my work. This realisation has completely shifted my practice and elevated it into something that I’ve always wanted. Soon after finishing my MA, I won the World Press Photo award for the project, 'The Longing of the Stranger Whose Path Has Been Broken', and a year later I published the work as a book.
How do you approach storytelling through your photography? What do you hope to convey with your work?
I’m interested in telling the stories of my community and similar communities across North Africa and Southwest Asia. I look to create a dialogue in my work, where the protagonists in the photographs and the audience looking at them can connect, with the aim of rebuilding what has long created distance from enforced colonial narratives and misrepresentations.
How do you see photography as a tool for activism, and what role do you believe it plays in creating meaningful change?
I believe photography and visual storytelling have a profound role in activism, possessing the power to connect and reveal human experiences through which our own humanity is reflected upon. We humans connect through stories, vulnerability and emotions; these are all vital elements in visual storytelling, and it creates the magic and beauty of the medium.
Could you tell us about a recent project that you’re most proud of?
I’ve recently debuted 'From the Ashes, I Rose', a project I worked on throughout 2024 in collaboration with the humanitarian aid charity Médecins Sans Frontières and Cortona on the Move, an international festival of contemporary photography. The project confronts the harsh realities of human rights violations and the devastating effects of warfare on civilians in the Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) region, including Palestine, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. Instead of focusing on the suffering of patients at the Doctors Without Borders (MSF) hospital in Amman, Jordan, where the project was produced, 'From the Ashes, I Rose' aims to reframe their experiences as profound acts of resilience and resistance.
Rehab Eldalil, From the series: 'From the Ashes, I Rose'
Rehab Eldalil. From the series: 'From the Ashes, I Rose'
What advice would you give to aspiring photographers looking to follow a similar path?
My advice would be to pursue projects and stories in their neighbourhoods and communities. You don't need to travel far to find good stories, you just need to connect with those contributing to your stories, the protagonists. I would advise them to invest more time connecting with their protagonists or ‘subjects’ and to look for different ways to tell stories rather than repeat past, potentially problematic narratives.
What does the future hold for you and your work?
I'm currently working on two projects - the continuation of From the Ashes, I Rose and the development of the 'Egypt Flora Field Guide', which is an extension of the 'South Sinai Flora Field Guide' that I developed during my Photography MA. I’m also taking more time this year to teach, mentoring two separate programs that support Egyptian and African visual stories.
External links
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