According to Marianne Hirsch’s definition, “perpetrator images” are photographic, cinematographic, or other types of images made by those who commit criminal acts. In a sense, then, they may be considered as elements of the apparatus of destruction since they incarnate the gaze of executioners or their accomplices before, during, or after carrying out the crime. The fact of disseminating them, even if within a restricted framework, confirms the arrogance of the authors (of the images, the actions, or both) regarding their deed. However, once they become public, these documents are presented to the gaze of historians and a memorial reappropriation is possible.
Key words: apparatus of destruction, gaze of executioners, Hirsch, image, perpetrator, photography, cinema.
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