Talking Pictures | The Many Contradictions of Gitmo

(quiet string music)

For many, Guantanamo Bay conjures images of detainees

in orange jumpsuits, and concertina wire,

but the Guantanamo Bay that photographer Debbie Cornwall

has documented in her project called

Gitmo At Home, Gitmo At Play,

speaks to the many contradictions

of this slice of America in Cuba.

Cornwall visited the secretive military base

after nine months of negotiations with the Navy.

Her images were subjected

to a daily operational security review,

and she was not allowed to photograph anyone's face,

soldier or detainee.

You'd think working on such a short leash

would put a damper on the project,

but Gitmo At Home, Gitmo At Play

is surprisingly revealing.

Cornwall shows us the mess halls, putting greens,

and sleeping quarters,

where the soldiers and sailors spend their downtime.

She also got to look at prisoners' quarters,

but only a few.

To convey the experience of daily life

without revealing the people who live there,

she focused on the physical spaces

both groups inhabit.

Cornwall photographed a compliant detainee media room,

a single cell where inmates with special privileges

can watch approved DVDs while shackled

to an overstuffed recliner.

The room featured a two-way mirror,

so guards can keep watch on prisoners

enjoying their 'leisure time'.

Cornwall hoped her work prompts further discussions

about US military prisons.

A former civil rights lawyer,

she now advocates through photography.

Cornwall feels the medium raises awareness

of and promotes discussions about

issues most people can't immediately relate to,

like the debate over closing military prisons

like Guantanamo Bay.