Olivier Jobard is represented by the photo agency M.Y.O.P.

 

In 1990, at the age of 20, he joined the Louis Lumière School of Photography in Paris where he was offered an end-of-course internship at the Sipa Press agency. He then joined the Sipa Press agency for 20 years.


Olivier then covered many conflicts around the world: Croatia, Bosnia, Chechnya, Afghanistan, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Colombia, Iraq and more.

In 2000, he travelled to Sangatte, a French camp for illegal migrants. There, he met Afghans, Bosnians, Chechens... All were asylum seekers who had fled their countries because of war. These countries Olivier had gone to for news coverage, for the fighting, for the war... Without seeing the broader consequences.

 

From this moment, he decided to dedicate his work to the underreported issues of migration. Illegal migrants are too often described in numbers, shown as an army of ghosts, zombies, like wild animals.

 

Olivier's photographic approach changed into a long term documentary work focusing on human stories, getting as close as possible to the migrants, and staying with them on the long run. He wants to depict them as human beings. It's a way to give them back their humanity.

For this purpose, Olivier has decided to move to documentary filming as well.
 

 

AWARDS & GRANTS

 

 

- Tim Hetherington Grant, World Press Photo. Dream of a rain of perfume. 2013

- Prize ESJ Lille, Figra film Festival. Mr. and Ms. Zhang. 2013

- Grant recipient, Festival Photoreporter Bay of Saint Brieuc. 2012

- Visa d’or for Magazine, Festival Visa pour l’Image, Perpignan. 2011
- Emmy Award for a documentary. Media Storm. Kingsley's Crossing. 2007
- Grand Calderon Prize, Festival du Scoop et du Journalisme. 2007
- World Press Photo, 1st prize, Contemporary issues. 2005
- Jury’s Special Award, Festival de Photojournalisme de Gijon. 2005
- Grand Prize Care International for Humanitarian Reporting. 2004
- Visa d’or for News, Festival Visa pour l’Image. 2004
- Grand Prize Paris-Match for Photographic Reporting. 2004
- Laureate, Association 3P. 2004
- POYi Award of Excellence. 2000
- Fuji France Award, News category. 1996 - 1998
- Award, Festival du Scoop d’Angers. 1996 - 1997 - 2003
 

PUBLICATIONS

- Kotchok, sur la route avec les migrants. Ed. Robert Laffond.

- Kingsley, canet de route d’un immigrant clandestin. Ed. Marval.
- Retour à Wenzhou. Ed. Neus, Les Belles Lettres.
- Exil-Exit. Ed. Médecins du Monde.
 
 

EXHIBITIONS

- Permanent exhibition, Cité Nationale de l’Histoire de l’Immigration. Kingsley.

- Salines royales d'Arc et Senans, collective exhibition, Récits nomades. 2013

- Point Ephémère, collective exhibition with M.Y.O.P agency and the Secours Catholique. Les oubliés de nos campagnes. 2013

- Galerie Fait et Cause, Paris. La vie à durée déterminée. 2013

- Musée de Saint-Brieuc, festival Photoreporter en baie de Saint-Brieux. La vie à durée déterminée. 2012

- Travelling exhibition, for Médecins du Monde. Exil-Exit, Vivre sans papiers en Europe. 2010-2011
- Les Rencontres d’Arles and the François Mitterrand French National Library, collective exhibition France 14. Chanteloup les vignes. 2010
- Nederlands Fotomuseum of Rotterdam, Kingsley's Crossing. 2010
- Festival des Etonnants Voyageurs de Saint-Malo. Travel Journal of a Clandestine Immigrant. 2009
- Barcelona Contemporary Cultural Center. Collective exhibition, Frontières. 2007
- Lille University, Espace Culture. Collective exhibition, Frontières. 2007-2008
- Lyon Museum Collective exhibition, Frontières. 2006
- Open Society Foundation, New York. Moving Walls 13. Travel Journal of a Clandestine Immigrant. 2007
- François Mitterrand French National Library. Collective exhibition, La photographie Engagée. 2006
- Les Rencontres d’Arles. Kingsley, the hard way, the only way. 2006
- Le Chateau d’Eau, Toulouse. Travel Journal of a Clandestine Immigrant. 2005
- Festival du Scoop et du Journalisme, Angers. Darfour. 2004
- Festival Visa pour l’Image, Perpignan. Sangatte. 2002