Twenty years behind a camera, told in person.
Barat Ali Batoor speaks about photography as witness, the passage from Kabul to Christmas Island, Hazara identity, and how testimony changes a public conversation.
1,079,778 plays on TED.com (as of 15 Oct 2026). Watch the talk
TEDxSydney, Sydney Opera House, 2014. Photograph: TEDxSydney.
TEDxSydney, the Western Australian Museum, State Library Victoria and the Marché du Film at Cannes have already had him on stage.
Two talks
TEDxSydney, 2014, 10:23
My desperate journey with a human smuggler
Posted on TED.com in April 2015. 1,079,778 plays as of 15 October 2026.
On TED.comTEDxIIITV, 2021
The struggle of identity and belonging
Also on the TEDx Talks channel, January 2022.
On TED.com
The struggle of identity and belonging. TEDxIIITV, 2021. On YouTube.
What he speaks about
Photography as witness
Twenty years behind a camera in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Indonesia and Australia, and what it means to photograph people who cannot afford to be seen.
The passage, told by the person who made it
Kabul to Christmas Island by land and sea in 2012. The decisions, the smugglers, the boat, the shipwreck, the detention, and the years after.
Hazara identity and belonging
A people's history of persecution and displacement, and how a community rebuilds recognition in a new country.
Storytelling for change
How images and testimony shift public conversation, from newspapers and TEDx to museum walls and a feature film.
Formats and practicalities
Formats: Keynote, In conversation, Panel, Q&A after a screening, Workshop or masterclass, Online.
He travels from Melbourne and is available in person and online. He speaks English and Hazaragi. Fee on application: the form below asks for a budget bracket so the reply can be a real one.
Appearances, dated
- 2026Selected the photographs for the exhibition, Premier's Multicultural Gala DinnerMelbourne
- In conversation with Zoe Daniel, My Refugee Journey fundraiserCanva, Collingwood
- 2024Panel on displacement with Cate Blanchett, IEFTA Refugee Voices in FilmMarché du Film, Cannes
- Artist talks, Searching for SanctuaryState Library Victoria
- 2021TEDxIIITV, The struggle of identity and belongingOnline
- 2014TEDxSydney, My desperate journey with a human smugglerSydney Opera House
- Public lecture, Hazara Exodus / The Unseen Road to AsylumWestern Australian Museum, Perth
Enquire about a talk
The more you say, the better the answer. If the date or the city is not fixed yet, give the range.