A person standing among pottery and clay objects in an outdoor setting with a background of trees and smoke in the sky.
A person in a yellow shirt and red shoes is crouching near a small fire on the ground in a wooded area during dusk or evening. There are trees and smoke visible in the background.
Two women stand outdoors near a body of water with a background of wooden buildings and trees. The image has a distorted, layered effect with colorful patterns overlaying the scene.
People participate in a traditional dance outdoors, wearing colorful costumes with ruffles, in a rural village setting with wooden houses, trees, and a group of onlookers, during late afternoon or early evening.
A community gathering by a body of water, with children and adults standing under a colorful decorative canopy made of pink, purple, black, and green patterned cloth. Some children are dressed in casual clothing, and some adults are engaged in activi
Collage of photos showing people working along a riverbank, using boats and tools, with lush greenery and water, and some images in black and white.
A group of children and an adult on a grassy riverbank, with trees in the background. Some children are in the water with a net and other objects; a canoe or boat is in the middle of the water. A chair and some equipment are also visible near the wat
People sitting on plastic chairs outdoors, with a bottle on the ground in front and a photo collage of faces underneath.
A black and white photograph of people standing in a river near the riverbank, with trees and lush jungle vegetation surrounding the water. Some individuals are wading through the water, and the scene appears to be in a tropical or subtropical enviro
A surreal photograph combining a black-and-white faded image of a woman's profile overlaid with a vibrant colored landscape of trees and a river, framed by a decorative floral border.
Children playing near a rustic house with a corrugated metal roof, surrounded by lush green vegetation, on a dusty ground.
Multiple layers of scenic views: top layer shows lush green canopy of trees with dark leaves, middle layer features a river with people in boats, and lower layer displays a gathering of people sitting on chairs outside, under a wooden structure.
Children swimming and playing in a river or lake near traditional huts in a rural village setting.
A group of people, including women and children, are gathered near a body of water in a rural area. Some are standing in the water while others are on the grassy bank. The background features trees and a landscape with palm trees.

Where the River Holds Us.

Where the River Holds Us est un projet documentaire réalisé à Bounda, un petit village situé sur les rives du fleuve Alima, au nord de la République du Congo. C'est là qu'est née une partie de mon histoire familiale, avant que les bouleversements de la colonisation dispersent certains descendants.

Pendant plusieurs jours, j'ai vécu au rythme du fleuve. J'ai partagé les repas, les traversées en pirogue, les soirées de danse, les longues conversations, les silences. Je n'étais ni tout à fait étrangère, ni tout à fait du village. Cette position entre deux mondes est devenue le point de départ de mon regard.

J’ai voulu raconter l'abondance.

L'abondance des savoirs transmis.
L'abondance des gestes répétés depuis des générations. L'abondance des liens entre l'eau, la forêt et les humains.

"Ici, l'eau parle à la forêt. La forêt parle aux humains. Les humains parlent à l'eau."

Mes images cherchent cette conversation invisible.

Elles s'intéressent aux mains qui construisent, qui pêchent, qui cultivent, qui dansent. Aux corps qui habitent un territoire dont l'apparente tranquillité masque des transformations profondes : les effets des changements climatiques, la raréfaction des poissons, les traces persistantes de l'histoire coloniale et les nouvelles formes d'un tourisme qui traverse parfois ces lieux sans vraiment les rencontrer.

Je travaille avec la lumière disponible et une approche documentaire lente. J'accorde autant d'importance à la conversation qu'à l'image, convaincue qu'un portrait n'est jamais seulement une photographie : c'est une collaboration, un acte de confiance et une mémoire partagée.

Ce projet est profondément personnel parce qu'il raconte une rivière qui a façonné mon histoire bien avant ma naissance.

Il est aussi universel, parce qu'il parle de ce besoin que nous partageons tous : savoir d'où nous venons pour mieux comprendre qui nous devenons.

"Je suis revenue vers toi, Alima, et tu m'as reconnue."