At 20, when I wrote these words, I didn’t yet know they were so prophetic …
For many years I traveled the world meeting remarkable men and women,
hoping to discover the secrets of life …
For 40 years I photographed and filmed the customs and traditions of populations in transition …
I have also produced numerous reports on the traditional and modern aspects of humanity and its environment in many countries: Afghanistan, Armenia, Cambodia, Chitral-Pakistan, Cuba, Ethiopia, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Italy, Kurdistan-Iran, Laos, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam …
How many years spent wandering through cities and villages, all festive and joyful, proud to welcome us …
How many years of sharing kindness and secrets exchanged with men, women, and children,
now physically so distant yet so close in our hearts…
How many mountains climbed in search of forgotten people…
How many wadis (dry riverbeds) explored in Arabia to find a multi-story mud-brick fortress hidden in a lush palm grove…
How many sand dunes traversed, from the Nefud Desert to the Khub Al Khali, to share, under a black tent
the marks of friendship and hospitality of the Bedouins : kawa (coffee), chai (tea), dates, and sweet camel milk…
Today, after this long journey, it is within myself, in the practice of meditation,
that I discover my most beautiful adventures and new horizons I never imagined before …
I have gathered on this site some of my work that I wanted to share with you…
… Have a good trip !
PS: For publishers and photo editors, search for our photos by keywords on the “Search” page.
For the curious, browse our selections on the “Photo Galleries” pages.
They are 20 years old, they love each other … From Turkey to India, Brigitte and Tchékof will get married ten times, according to the strangest rites, in the middle of incredible adventures. From Istanbul to Jaipur, the adventure lasted three years, through deserts and mountains and into the high valleys of the Himalayas. Among the Kalash, the last pagan tribes of the East … among the Kouchi, fierce Afghan nomads … among the Kurds at war … among the last Maharajas of Rajasthan … A romance of love and adventure. .. a true story !
Some pictures – Press review – The guest book.
5 FILMS (x26 MIN.) : THE BRIDE AND GROOM AT THE END OF THE WORLD.
“For three years they married, once, twice, ten times, in lost countries.” From Turkey to India, Tchékof Minosa and Brigitte de Saint-Preux, a couple of adventurers in love, immerse themselves in the daily life of the Kurdish, Turkmen, Kalash peoples…. And as a highlight, they get married while respecting local customs, even the most unusual ones…
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Trip to Kurdistan. After the very intense experience of a dervish ceremony, during which men in a trance pierce their bodies, Tchékof Minosa and Brigitte de Saint-Preux discover the calm of a small village in the mountains of Kurdistan. There, they are taken in hand by the villagers for a traditional wedding ceremony with horses and dancing. |
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The nomadic Kouchi of the roof of the world. In the steppes of northern Afghanistan live the Kouchi, a people of nomadic shepherds. Despite their bad reputation – some are arms or opium traffickers – the group we met lives peacefully, the men take care of the animals, the women manage the stewardship and weave. During the wedding, Brigitte’s hair and stomach are put to the test… |
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The Turkmen, last sons of Genghis Khan. An immersion into the heart of the Turkmen community, a population of Mongolian origin who have been refugees in Afghanistan since the late 19th century. The tranquility of the villagers, artisans, and farmers contrasts sharply with the violence of buzkashi, a traditional equestrian game where riders fight over a calf carcass. As for the wedding, Brigitte is fascinated by the incredible jewelry the women dress her in. |
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In the kingdom of Tsiam the Kalashs. In the high snowy valleys of northwest Pakistan live the Kalash, a polytheist people. Brigitte and Tchékof arrive at the time of Chitramas, a ritual festival celebrating the winter solstice. Initially prohibited from entering the village, the couple finally obtained authorization to stay there and be married there, at the price of sacrificing a goat, which would be slaughtered by Tchékof himself. |
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Marriage of Maharaja at the Palace of the Winds. Rajasthan as the final stopover for our bride and groom from the ends of the world. It was at the Palace of the Winds in Jaïpur that the sumptuous wedding of Brigitte and Tchékof was prepared and celebrated according to ancestral Hindu traditions. A nuptial fire and a game of hands in a bowl of water, the beginnings of the games of love that will unite them, close this flamboyant celebration. |
DISC : TRADITIONAL MUSIC OF THE ORIENT.
Recorded during the reporting of the brides at the end of the world.
2 LPs released by Chant du monde in 1972. (original edition out of print, listen below).
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Disque 1 |
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Disque 2 |
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AFGHANISTAN – I. KOUCHI |
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IRAN |
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1. Chant de caravanes 4’50 |
13. Les derviches 8’50 | ||
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2. Soirée sous la tente, air de flûte et de damboura 3’30 |
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14. Choupi 4’46 | ||
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3. Chants de femmes 2’00 |
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15. Gourani 3’30 |
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4. Danse des femmes 1’55 | PAKISTAN – KALASH | |||
| AFGHANISTAN – II. TURKMEN |
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16. Chitramas 2’00 | ||||
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5. Improvisation de rijak et damboura 4’46 |
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17. Incantation aux esprits 2’46 | ||
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6. Improvisation du veil homme au rijal 5’32 |
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18. Danse 1’38 | ||
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7. Chant de jeunes filles 1’40 | INDE | |||
| TURQUIE |
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19. Charmeurs de cobra 2’45 | ||||
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8. Erzurum 2’45 |
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20. Danse du Néfa 2’42 | ||
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9. Tamzara 1’45 |
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21. Chant de femmes 1’46 | ||
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10. Topal 1’25 |
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22. Fanfare de « Rac » 4’20 | ||
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11. Danse d’Antep 1’30 | ||||
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12. Danse de Fatmali 1’45 |
Today, while the world is wondering about Saudi Arabia, a totally unknown country, Chekof Minosa presents in this book the region of Najran, on the borders of the great desert of Rub Al Khali and the ancient kingdom of the Queen of Sheba.
In the heart of a green and silent oasis, the peasant builders set up towers of several floors in clay. In the surroundings, the last nomads of the Arabian Peninsula, challenge one of the largest deserts in the world, guided by the stars. Here, far from the convulsions of the world, an ancestral world flourishes.
EXHIBITIONS, INTERVIEWS, VIDEOS
Allemagne : Stern – Bunte – Quick – Freundin. Arabie Saoudite : Ministère du Commerce – Ministère de l’Agriculture et de l’Eau. Australie : Asia Magazine. Benelux : Télévision Belge – Margriet – Nieuwe Revue – De Post. Brésil : Gente. Canada : Radio Canada. Ethiopie : Ethiopian Airlines. France : Ministère de l’Education Nationale – Chambre de Commerce – Musée d’Art Moderne – Centre National d’Art et de Culture Georges Pompidou – Radio et Télévisions françaises : T.F.1 – France Inter – Antenne 2 – F.R.3 – Paris Match – Ciné Photo Revue – Partir – Femmes d’Aujourd’hui – Télé 7 Jours – Marie France – Figaro – Ouest France – Peugeot – Thomson C.S.F. – O.T.H. – Grands Travaux de Marseille – Solaris Marine. Inde : Ministère du Tourisme – Office du Tourisme du Rajasthan. Italie : R.A.I. – Oggi – Annabella – Europeo – Domenica del Corriere. Pays Scandinaves : Hjemmet – Aret Runt – Jaanna. Suisse : Radio Télévision Suisse – Bouquet – Femina. U.S.A. : National Geographic – Time Life – Mobil Oil Company.