During the last trip to Iraqi Kurdistan, guest by Un ponte per…, I had the chance to move through Arbat refugee camp, near Sulaymaniyah, and to explore the city itself.

Beside the usual hospitality and warm welcoming that any of the Syrian guests I met granted me, this time I could witness a profound explosion of life all around me. Once abandoned all the archetypes imprinted by Western world, the life in the camp reveals itself beyond the tragedy in unexpected moments of true comedy.

The hard life and fight for dignity can’t eclipse the innate human need for joy.

In the second part of the trip I moved to Erbil and went back to Ashti IDPs camp where I met some of the kids and teachers I’ve been working with early in the year while shooting a social advertising campaign. We had a chance to push the envelope further and soon the whole campaign will finally be published.

Meanwhile, a photographic album of the journey is available on Flickr.

My utter gratitude goes to Un punte per… and especially to Sergio, Ilaria, Mary, Giulia, Nader, Shwan, Hardi, Khalil, Nawsad and of course my right arm Sami.

Supas!