Bieke Depoorter Sète, France. 2014.
“I have always been interested in photographing scenes where no one seems to be looking. I photographed this old lady for my project ‘Sète#15’; it was the first time I began to
(...) see my subjects as actors. Although I portrayed them in their true environments, I tried to project my own narrative onto the scenes, fictionalizing the realities of my subjects in a way that blurred the lines between their world and mine. I realized–in the moment this picture captures–that reality can be striking enough. The old lady could hardly walk or speak. We were together in her upstairs apartment. I asked her if she wanted to play a song on the piano, as she used to be a professional opera musician. The only song she remembered was a children's song, which she played very slowly for me. She cried while singing.”
- Bieke Depoorter © Bieke Depoorter | Magnum Photos
