Chicago's South Side neighbourhood is home to one of the largest and oldest African-American communities in the United States. It is also one of the poorest areas of the country. Over the past decade, the largest housing developments in the United States have been demolished, disrupting the housing of approximately 100,000 of the poorest residents.
In this documentary project, Jon Lowenstein explores the struggle that ensues to maintain a semblance of order as these neighbourhoods crumble before our eyes.
South Side - a project consisting of large-format photographs, ephemeral, poetic and personal stories - is part of a shared history in the middle of a given space, a post-industrial fusion of a city in full gentrification.
An Autobiography of Miss Wish is a story of two closely related lives, the photographer and her "subject", working closely together to create a unique enigmatic book that pushes the boundaries of documentary narration.
The project brings together heart-rending archive footage depicting crime scenes and flashbacks, psychiatric hospital reports, diary pieces / snippets / personal notes, personal effects, letters and messages between the photographer and the protagonist: Miss Wish.
During the festival, NOOR Authors and Team will be hosting workshop and portfolio reviews, supported by the Embassy of Kingdom of the Netherlands in France and l'Atelier Néerlandais.
This workshop will provide both relevant industry insights as well as individual feedback and advice for each participating photographer. This workshop will take places in English.
