« The inside of the home has always been a ‘private’ place, a witness to the most intimate and personal events in the lives of its inhabitants. (…) In all these images, the soft, subdued lighting unmistakably hints at that sweet sense of shelter and protection that relates to home. (…) Fundamentally, I look upon these photographs as an act of presenting myself, rather than representing myself. » – Luigi Ghirri, Identikit
A few words about my photos submission:
I tried to capture a sense of comfort as well as the mood of the confinement that we are going trough: the bed is a warm and comforting place that occupies most of the small space I live in, it seemed only natural to photograph it. The white sheets and the blanket give this peaceful image of a shelter. The bed is also the place where I spent the most time thinking about my projects at night, before falling asleep. The image of my blanket wrapped is this torn up bag (which I use to put under the bed once it’s folded as a sofa) was for me a funny representation of our impossibility to go out, of this comfort that is slowly deteriorating, of our quiet anxiety and our repressed wheel to go out. It was also amusing to find ways to be creative with what I had in my apartment and the fact that I used my bed and blanket also tells a lot about how I live in a tiny space, how I organize my material life, to which I give even more attention now that we are confined.
ーーHow has the spread of coronavirus effect your lifestyle and creative activities?
Lucas : It delayed some photography works and now that we are confined I am just staying at home.
ーーDo you have anything you realized and want to keep in mind from now on going through this situation ?
Lucas : I think it brought people closer, it made some people more aware of other people’s loneliness. I want to keep calling people I haven’t seen in a long time even after the lock down. I also want to work way more after this, not stay at home as much as I did before.
ーーHow are you preparing yourself mentally and physically towards the lockdown?
Lucas : I’m used to spending time at home. What some people may see as « doing nothing » is being quite active as I see it : reading, writing, watching films, thinking about the films I want to make… All this « inactivity » is part of a whole creative process to which I was used to. Even though all this is still a very abstract creative process which doesn’t often finds it’s way into the world as a finished art work.
ーーIn light of your own activities, what kind of indoor creation is possible?
Lucas : I can write, read and talk over the phone about projects with collaborators.
ーーIf you have any recommendations or ideas on how to use online applications efficiently or any measures that one can take themselves, please share them with us.
Lucas : A few thing to watch/listen: the A24 podcasts, Le Cinema Club (a great website for short films), Blow-Up (a web magazine for Arte, the French and German tv)… I’ve also watched the 4 part Miyazaki documentary on the NHK website which was quite fascinating and exciting! Otherwise just I would advice subscribing to The Criterion Collection, it’s not for free but definitely worth it. Here are a few titles to check out: three films by Edward Yang (Yi Yi, A Brighter Summer Day, Taipei Story), Che part 1 and 2, The Fits, Carlos, Secret Sunshine, Adaptation and the films of Andrea Arnold, Alice Rohrwacher, Kelly Reichardt, Jane Campion, Mike Leigh, Satyajit Ray, Louis Malle, Wong Kar-Wai… and so many more!
ーーDo you have anything you want to challenge yourself on?
Lucas : I’d like to write a short film, wake up earlier, and be more proactive!
ーーAfter the coronavirus converges and the situation gets better, what would you like to do?
Lucas : See friends, travel and do A LOT of photography!
ーーDo you agree with the measures taken by the government? If not, what other measures would you recommend taking?
Lucas : Giving the extraordinary circumstances I think everybody is doing their best. Even though it seems that the overall mood is going towards more solidarity I feel like more could be done to help hospitals and people that are most in need. We seem to be giving a lot of attention to the state of the economy when some people are still living in the streets. I think we still have some issues setting our priorities straight.
Film selections for quarantine life
Lost In Translation, Sofia Coppola Yi Yi, Edward Yang
Wendy and Lucy, Kelly Reichardt The Piano, Jane Campion
Heat, Michael Mann
Spirited Away, Hayao Miyazaki Somewhere, Sofia Coppola
Goodbye First Love, Mia Hansen-Løve Milk, Gus Van Sant
The Darjeeling Limited, Wes Anderson
Lucas Charrier
French photographer and film critic based in Paris
URL https://cargocollective.com/lucascharrier
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