Bieke Depoorter Egypt. 2013.
(Translation of the written text below)
- You can stay with me no problem, a day, a week, a month. But taking pictures? No.
- Sometimes all the borders, customs, traditions, doctri
(...) nes — can make you lose confidence in yourself. You have to first trust yourself, before you can trust others.
- My name is Nora, and I come from a middle-class family. I don’t think my parents would ever allow a stranger to come stay in our house for a day, because of issues with privacy and fear of strangers and crime. The fear is due to all the problems we read about on social media; fear that these stories might happen to us. I wouldn't allow you to take a picture of me, because I would consider that a violation of my privacy. And because l'm not used to dealing with strangers.
- I agree with these ideas.
- There are a lot of people out there who think this way because of the current situation.
- Marna says spend the night with us, or with Karima our neighbour, because her bathroom is better.
- The problem is not privacy. The problem is our fear of how people will judge us.
- If they knew that this book would be published in Egypt, they would not agree to being photographed.
- Haven't you heard about Regeni, the ltalian?
- Who is Regeni the ltalian?
- They tortured him as if he was Egyptian (the mother of Regeni said). That's very painful for us, as Egyptians.
- People here are programmed to think that a foreigner with a camera is a spy.
- But that's actually true.
- Why are people afraid of you?
- Advice from my father to you: don't trust anyone, because that's just blind trust. But treat people with good intentions, until something proves otherwise.
- The picture was taken when she was in a bad state of mind, a sad mood.
- I’m one of those people who wouldn't want to be photographed in my house while relaxing.
- I sit like this at home every day. © Bieke Depoorter | Magnum Photos