"If ever you’re making a TV show about village and traditional culture in Turkey, be sure to arrange to film a circumcision. For a few hundred dollars you can hire the band, the doctor, and the horse, and pay for all the pizzas and soft drinks. We even paid for the boy’s prince outfit. From a TV production point of view, it was a marvelous value. And the most beautiful moment for me was the heartfelt thanks the dad gave me as we left. I promised we’d send him a copy of the show as soon as it was finished."
The photos say:
"Before meeting the doctor, the young man of the hour was having a wonderful time. [..]" (of course there are no words about AFTER meeting the doctor)
"A good circumcision comes with a decorated horse and a three-piece band. The extended family, and anyone who hears the commotion and wants to drop by, is welcome. It’s a grand festival."
"We left the family and doctor alone in the home, put the camera down, and joined the party outside. The doctor said things went just fine…but we never saw the boy again."
How would you feel if he was documenting a female circumcision in Africa, Malaysia or Indonesia?
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