This photo was made in 2014 on my second trip to the dump as part of the "Families of the Dump" documentary photo project. When I arrived back in the Mae Sot dump in 2014, I met a large group of people, several families that were new to the area. Because they had no homes built yet they were all sleeping under makeshift lean twos or in the open. This sleeping area was located inside the edge of the dump, their was much garbage around the sleeping people, most of it was flattened and matted into the muddy grass.. Almost everyday when I arrived in the dump around 630am, I photographed a group of boys sleeping in the open on filthy pillows and blankets. They were often covered in flies which were crawling on the their exposed faces, legs and arms.
In this picture there were initially 2 boys, sleeping, the one behind had gotten up, the younger one still was deeply sleeping. Dreaming of what? I wonder. What I remember most is the stink of this place, even early in the day before it got very hot, their was a rotten sickly smell to everything, along with that there was the buzz of the thousands of flies and the barks and yelps from nearby fighting wild dogs.
A terrible place to wake up in each morning, what future will this boy have? Why is he forgotten, left to sleep with garbage, flies, cockroaches, rats and wild dogs? This has to change, the worlds nations, the worlds people need to share what we have. All of us everywhere, regardless of gender, race, nationality, religion and culture are of equal value, we all belong to each other. No boy should have to live like this. We all need to fight for positive change, each of us needs to make a commitment to that change. Only then will things start to turn for the better.
Tech Stuff: M6 Camera, 35mm F1.4 lens (?) Tri-x film (200ASA). Developed 2/1 for 12 minutes 30 seconds at 20C in D-76.
In this picture there were initially 2 boys, sleeping, the one behind had gotten up, the younger one still was deeply sleeping. Dreaming of what? I wonder. What I remember most is the stink of this place, even early in the day before it got very hot, their was a rotten sickly smell to everything, along with that there was the buzz of the thousands of flies and the barks and yelps from nearby fighting wild dogs.
A terrible place to wake up in each morning, what future will this boy have? Why is he forgotten, left to sleep with garbage, flies, cockroaches, rats and wild dogs? This has to change, the worlds nations, the worlds people need to share what we have. All of us everywhere, regardless of gender, race, nationality, religion and culture are of equal value, we all belong to each other. No boy should have to live like this. We all need to fight for positive change, each of us needs to make a commitment to that change. Only then will things start to turn for the better.
Tech Stuff: M6 Camera, 35mm F1.4 lens (?) Tri-x film (200ASA). Developed 2/1 for 12 minutes 30 seconds at 20C in D-76.
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| Young boy sleeping, Mae Sot Dump, Thailand 2014 |
