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The Fume of Sighs
Maryse, 83, was born in Marseille. In 1969, she moved with her husband Michel to Sarcelles, a suburban city in the north of Paris. In August 2017, Michel passed away. Since then, I spent some time with her. At home she mourns while emptying the apartment from a variety of objects. When we are together, we remember Michel, we talk about life, death and absence. In a sense, we became confidants of secrets, fears and anecdotes. We replaced our respective solitudes - me as a migrant, she as a widow - within stories and dreams.
This is a story about life, absence, love and friendship. It documents the uncertain experience of being alone but also the alchemy of an unpredicted encounter.
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The Rugbywomen
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Training day in Chantereine under the snow. In the background, the social housing buildings of Sarcelles.
![Koumba, 16, is one of the best players of Chantereine High School. She lives in a social housing tower in Sarcelles. This city has the biggest social housing density of the country. View from Koumba’s apartment.](https://format.creatorcdn.com/ec24d274-5e7e-4beb-9909-ca5949db0ab3/0/0/0/0,0,1200,801,1200,550/0-0-0/b352e6cc-6c21-410f-b3a4-0681bd65cc44/1/1/02_-_Camilo_Leon-Quijano_2017.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037422834~hmac=3b7d608b1dabc375406e10184c903cbc607283ff969c1df98a38126dbce7eb7f)
Koumba, 16, is one of the best players of Chantereine High School. She lives in a social housing tower in Sarcelles.
The Rugbywomen
In January 2017, I began to follow a group of rugby players from the Chantereine High School of Sarcelles, a "banlieue" in the north of Paris. These young women use the sport as a means to overcome challenges and build self-assurance. Additionally, rugby serves as a tool to challenge preconceived notions about gender, social status, and race, while also reshaping the perception of young women residing in French banlieues.
![In Chantereine 86% of the students come from low-income families. They have been training together since 2014. In 2016 they were the best newcomer team of France (4th). In this picture, they prepare a travel to UK on May 2017.](https://format.creatorcdn.com/ec24d274-5e7e-4beb-9909-ca5949db0ab3/0/0/0/0,0,1200,800,1200,550/0-0-0/dc358c8e-6981-4959-8b25-de029e11d5eb/1/1/05_-_Camilo_Leon-Quijano_2017.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037422834~hmac=9eaf915b41367482ac44393b55ba10b51209117e29b2b9c8f1e51cd8754caa2e)
In the Chantereine High School 86% of the students come from low-income families. They have been training together since 2014. In 2016 they were the best newcomer team of France (4th). In this picture, they prepare a travel to UK on May 2017.
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Abdel waters the various vegetables in the garden of the Engraineurs
Les Engraineurs
Urban Gardeners in Sarcelles
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Children are the ones who benefit the most from the Engraineurs meetings. Neighborhood party.
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The Engraineurs organize between neighbors to regularly cultivate the garden.
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