A hotel room in Macedonia. A warehouse in the Lithuanian countryside.

These are just some of the vestiges from the War on Terror uncovered in the book Negative Publicity: Artefacts of Extraordinary Rendition, by photographer Edmund Clark and investigator Crofton Black.

By following the seemingly mundane bureaucratic paper trail left in the wake of the extraordinary rendition program, spearheaded by the U.S. and U.K., Clark and Black document many of the locations where torture took place.

These are not exotic places. They are ordinary.

“A lot of these photographs are at the limit of the point of photography, the limits of what you can see”, says Clark. “Behind all these facades, behind all these objects, are bodies in pain.”

Since 1985, the International Center of Photography has recognized outstanding achievements in photography with its prestigious Infinity Awards. The awards ceremony is also ICP’s primary fundraising benefit, with its revenues assisting the center's various programs.

Harbers Studios commissioned MediaStorm, on behalf of ICP, to create a short film about each of the recipients to screen at the awards ceremony and to display online. The films pay tribute to the contributions of each artist to the craft and field of photography and demonstrate ICP's commitment to them.

The winners for Documentary and Photojournalism: Edmund Clark and Crofton Black, combine years of investigative research and photography on extraordinary rendition during the War on Terror in their hallmark publication, Negative Publicity: Artefacts of Extraordinary Rendition. In documenting the seemingly mundane, they uncover the ways that the U.S. and U.K. conducted a secret war on civilians and suspected terrorists, often with nothing but circumstantial evidence.

The primary challenge in producing this film is also the central paradox of the authors’ work: how to illustrate what, by its very nature, can not be seen. Crofton and Black, work much like detectives, use photographs and documentation to piece together evidence of events that remain, by and large, hidden to the public. The challenge then became to replicate this sense of slowly uncovering a mystery.

This film relies heavily on musical choices to create a foreboding, uncertain mood. This helps reinforce the sense of mystery. Visually, the editor chose to use rack-focused video to metaphorically suggest information becoming clear. Further, it was important when planning the shoot to make sure there was time to film both Crofton and Black physically handling their work, both documents and photography. By allowing the men room to speak outside of a formal interview, we give the audience an opportunity to see how the photographer and investigator make connections and illuminate the secrets behind the rendition program.

The film premiered on April 24, 2017 at the ICP Infinity Awards Gala in Chelsea Piers, New York City. The films were the special feature of the evening and a critical fundraising tool.

This film was a collaboration with Harbers Studio and the International Center of Photography.

Harbers Studios turbocharges the efforts of charitable entrepreneurs by helping them tell their stories. Our goal is to help them articulate and share the value of the work they do so they can inspire others to help them do it. Working with some of the best filmmaking talent in the world, Harbers Studios creates compelling visual narratives that enhance the endeavors of organizations working to make the world a better place.

The International Center of Photography (ICP) is the world’s leading institution dedicated to the practice and understanding of photography and the reproduced image in all its forms. Through exhibitions, educational programs, and community outreach, ICP offers an open forum for dialogue about the role images play in our culture. Since ICP’s founding, they have presented more than 500 exhibitions and offered thousands of classes, providing instruction at every level. ICP is a center where photographers and artists, students and scholars can create and interpret the world of the image within our comprehensive educational facilities and archive.

As a privately funded nonprofit arts and education organization, ICP depends in large part on friends such as you for support. Your generosity is vital to ICP as it continues to grow and succeed in its mission: to present photography's extraordinary power to the public.

There are many ways to give to ICP: Donate to the Annual Fund, create a scholarship, sponsor exhibitions and education programs, contribute to the Collection, or make a planned gift.

Since 1985, the International Center of Photography has recognized outstanding achievements in photography with its prestigious Infinity Awards. The awards ceremony is also ICP’s primary fundraising benefit, with its revenues assisting the center's various programs.

Harbers Studios commissioned MediaStorm, on behalf of ICP, to create a short film about each of the recipients to screen at the awards ceremony and to display online. The films pay tribute to the contributions of each artist to the craft and field of photography and demonstrate ICP's commitment to them.