The Fume of Sighs
LensCulture Emerging Talent Award 2018
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 have been spending 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.
