An abandoned luxury hotel’s incredible afterlife
Amilton Neves Cuna, a Mozambique photographer, has documented the Grand Hotel in Beira and what its various uses reveal about his country’s history.
The Grand Hotel in Beira, Mozambique, has had an extraordinary life: it was a luxury destination with an Olympic-sized swimming pool and a cinema when it opened in 1954. It was closed in 1963 and taken over for political reasons during the country’s war of independence; it now houses a few thousand squatters, some of whom are third generation residents.
In his fascinating project Grand Hotel, Mozambique photographer Amilton Neves Cuna documented the space and the people who lived there. In this video, he discusses what drew him to the building and what its history can teach us about colonialism’s impact. “Photography should focus on… telling the unknown, building a narrative, and trying to bring new stories to the world,” he says. Zuri Obi directed the video, and Ana Catala edited it.
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Jamel Shabazz: 1980s Iconic Images
Jamel Shabazz captured stunning images of the New York subway’s street fashion and energy.
Jamel Shabazz, a Brooklyn-based photographer, captures life underground on the New York City subway in the 1980s.
Shabazz’s work aims to present positive portraits of the African-American community in the midst of a period of high crime, drugs, and violence. “I had to work with great zeal to get out there and use my camera as a weapon to combat a lot of that negativity,” he says in this video, which shows the joy of communication and connection – a vivid reminder of life before Covid.
Brandon Drenon and Madeline Johnson created the video.
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Photos of a private world
Federica Valabrega travelled the world photographing Orthodox Jewish women for her project Daughters of the King. In the latest Through the Lens film, she describes capturing hidden lives.
“I’m Jewish, but I’m very confused about my religion and why our tradition assigns different roles to men and women.” Federica Valabrega photographed Orthodox Jewish women from New York to Jerusalem for her project Daughters of the King. In this video, she explains how she gained access and what her photographs reveal about lives that are usually hidden from view.
Sebastián Daz Aguirre created the video.
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Gentleman’s Club: A world that’s rarely seen
Magnum photographer Cristina de Middel’s Gentleman’s Club project reveals the clients of prostitutes. In this video, she explains why – and how – she created the series.
“It was important to me to show the other side of prostitution because it’s not just about women naked in dirty rooms; there are also men naked in those same rooms, but we never show them.” Cristina de Middel, a Magnum photographer, wanted to redress the balance. Her Gentleman’s Club series of photographs, shot in Brazil in 2015, Cuba in 2018, and Thailand in 2019, reveal the clients of prostitutes, a topic rarely covered in photojournalism.
“Imagine that written language has vanished and you have to understand the world solely through visual means – photography has done a terrible job of explaining the business,” says De Middel in this video. She advertised in newspapers for prostitute clients to pose for her in exchange for money. If they were willing to show their faces, I would offer them more.
“It’s a bigger picture – a broader perspective – of what makes prostitution a successful business,” De Middel says. “I believe it is time for every artist… to see what they can do in their discipline, to contribute to the debate, and to question the traditional way women are depicted.”
To watch the video, click the play button above.
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