Just Between Us

Just Between Us - Entre Nós, in portuguese - is an independent photography project by someone who has had enough of hearing stories about women who are victims of violence inside their own homes - stories often about very close and dear people. After some research on the subject and conversations with many women - about suffering acts of violence and not telling anyone, about suffering and speaking about it, about the devastating effect these events have in a person's life, about seeking help, about fear, about guilt, about feeling impotent, about silence, about all the complexities which this theme englobes - this project was the way I found to take a stand, to say "I don't agree". My intention is not to offer answers, but to disturb and to generate a discussion on the subject. This isn't, therefore, a campaign, but a proposal to reflect on a theme which isn't given enough attention in Brazil. There are also children, elderly people and men who suffer physical abuse at home. But, in this project, we are dealing exclusively with domestic violence against women: it occurs in all social spheres, in all age groups and is often closer than we can imagine. The numbers are frightening. All women photographed are actresses, but they are portraying real life situations. We aren't talking, therefore, about specific people, specific cases. These characters are a representation of a huge and complex context which affects many people and which must be discussed. These images are a form of protest. In the website, there are more than 30 real stories, sent by women who suffered some kind of domestic violence. www.projetoentrenos.com (in portuguese, only) The project was awarded third place in the 2014 Bienalle di Roma, Italy.