No Happiness Without Children, Nane Chave, Nane Bacht. These pictures were mostly taken in 2017 and 2018 in a Romani neighborhood known as « Polygon » in Strasbourg, France, where 170 families lived, six months before they were evicted and their homes destroyed.
The city authorities condemned the neighborhood where these Roma had lived for the past 70 years as unsafe ad razed their houses to the groud, without any consideration for the strong attachment these people had for their home, their memories and their lifestyle. These series of photographs pays a tribute to the digity of these people. The specific values of the community are unveiled : a respect for elders, life in the open air, and the limitless love with which parents lavish their children. In the backgroud of these portraits, one can also glimpse social and economic issues that this commuity must contend with : outright discrimiation, the precarious social position of women and difficulties relating to housing. Living in a conventional house, paying rent and no longer being able to travel will be a new way of life which those Romani families lucky enough to be rehoused must accustomed to. [Official Website]
