The Suburia Diaries

A documentary of a personal journey. A man of 67 carrying in his heart a younger version of himself, an immigrant 12 years old boy, on a quest to the old neighborhoods in the urban periphery of his hometown. A place he abandoned as a young man and was due revisiting after a lifetime of absence. A meeting point of perception and fact, of universes years apart, if you will. Looking through a prism of youthful memories seasoned by life experience with some sarcasm and irony that come with age. Reminiscences of a warm and intimate (if suffocating at times) community, and longings for things that are no more and for people that are now just fading ghosts floating in my dreams . Passing through forgotten places where the traveler gets the distinct impression that time has somehow frozen… Some reflections on the “natural” urban evolution process and heartbreaking institutional neglect that caused a once warm and vibrant community ecosystem to fade away. The images are devoid of people, and yet their voices are present. I provided a translation of texts in images where needed. An understanding of cultural context is important for the viewer to fully enjoy the nuances of this series, yet not paramount, since there is hope that the images speak heart level "suburbian" so that everybody feels invited to join and connect to the personal journey. About technique : For a documentary project, basic photography and postprocessing were deemed appropriate, with a touch of film effect.