A day in the life of a schoolgirl in Bombay

… (and a couple of schoolboys) …

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Natwar Nagar Public School, Mumbai/Bombay, India
January 2017 | Photos by Maria Bitarello
Canon AE-1 / Retro Chrome 320 (positive/expired)

Women by the water

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Dashashwamedh Ghat, Vanarasi, India
December 2016 | Photos by Maria Bitarello
Canon AE-1 / Retro Chrome 320 (positive/expired)

Uzyna Oficina

 

 

Photos by Maria Bitarello
Novembro 2015 @ Teatro Oficina Uzyna Uzona
Canon AE-1, Ilford Delta 3200
Ensaios de “Mistérios Gozósos”, a partir do
“Santeiro do Mangue”, de Oswald de Andrade.

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Postcards from the roof of the world

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Boudhanath Stupa, Kathmandu, Nepal

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Morning chat @ Boudhanath Stupa, Kathmandu, Nepal

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Monks @ Boudhanath Stupa, Kathmandu, Nepal

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Koras and wheels @ Boudhanath Stupa, Kathmandu, Nepal

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Candles and wheels @ Boudhanath Stupa, Kathmandu, Nepal

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Koras @ Boudhanath Stupa, Kathmandu, Nepal

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Koras and wheels @ Boudhanath Stupa, Kathmandu, Nepal

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Monks @ Boudhanath Stupa, Kathmandu, Nepal

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Monasteries and temples @ Boudhanath Stupa, Kathmandu, Nepal

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Candles and prayers @ Boudhanath Stupa, Kathmandu, Nepal

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Happiness Guest House @ Boudhanath Stupa, Kathmandu, Nepal

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Faith and prostrations @ Boudhanath Stupa, Kathmandu, Nepal

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Morning paper, friends and Buddha @ Boudhanath Stupa, Kathmandu, Nepal

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Monks @ Boudhanath Stupa, Kathmandu, Nepal

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Market life @ Boudhanath Stupa, Kathmandu, Nepal

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Writing refuge @ Boudhanath Stupa, Kathmandu, Nepal

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Writing on rooftops @ Boudhanath Stupa, Kathmandu, Nepal

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Real life outside Boudhanath Stupa, Kathmandu, Nepal

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Real life outside Boudhanath Stupa, Kathmandu, Nepal

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Cremations @ Pashupatinath, Kathmandu, Nepal

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Prayer for Kali @ Pashupatinath, Kathmandu, Nepal

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Market @ Pashupatinath, Kathmandu, Nepal

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Bodhi Tree @ Pashupatinath, Kathmandu, Nepal

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Across the river from Pashupatinath, Kathmandu, Nepal

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Librarian and business man in Bandipur, Nepal

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Business man in wallpaper in Bandipur, Nepal

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Warm hands in Bandipur, Nepal

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Laundry @ Fewa Lake, in Pokhara, Nepal

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Laundry @ Fewa Lake, in Pokhara, Nepal

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Row boats @ Fewa Lake, in Pokhara, Nepal

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Boat and oar @ Fewa Lake, in Pokhara, Nepal

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Rowing across Fewa Lake, in Pokhara, Nepal

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Rowing across Fewa Lake, in Pokhara, Nepal

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The Peace Stupa @ Fewa Lake, in Pokhara, Nepal

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The Peace Stupa @ Fewa Lake, in Pokhara, Nepal

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Parahawking @ Sarangkot, in Pokhara, Nepal

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Paragaliding @ Sarangkot, in Pokhara, Nepal

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Prem @ Sampada Inn, in Pokhara, Nepal

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Women weaving in Pokhara, Nepal

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Women weaving in Pokhara, Nepal

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My taylor in Pokhara, Nepal

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Chess @ Sidewalk, in Pokhara, Nepal

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Karma Cuts in Pokhara, Nepal

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Sadhu @ Riverside, in Pokhara, Nepal

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Holy cows outside Pokhara, Nepal

 

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Gurkha warriors @ Recruitment Center, in Pokhara, Nepal

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Gurkha training @ Recruitment Center, in Pokhara, Nepal

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NG, the sherpa guide to Gurung Lodge, Nepal

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Trek to Gurung Lodge, Nepal

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Millet drying @ mountain village around Gurung Lodge, Nepal

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Hindu temple and Himalayas around Gurung Lodge, Nepal

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Himalayas around Gurung Lodge, Nepal

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Hindu temple and Himalayas around Gurung Lodge, Nepal

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View from Gurung Lodge, Nepal

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Half-print of mountain view from Gurung Lodge, Nepal

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Sunrise, Himalayas and Bandipur, view from Panorama, Lodge, Nepal

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Sunrise, Himalayas and Bandipur, view from Panorama, Lodge, Nepal

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The cook and the fog @ Panorama Lodge, Nepal

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Orange pickers on the mountain villages around Panorama Lodge, Nepal

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Orange pickers on the mountain villages around Panorama Lodge, Nepal

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Orange baskets on the backs of women @ the mountain villages around Panorama Lodge, Nepal

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Chris and orange crates @ mountain villages around Panorama Lodge, Nepal

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Divine light on trek to Panorama Lodge, Nepal

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Drying corn @ mountain village around Panorama Lodge, Nepal

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Seti River @ Seti River Camp, Nepal

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Seti River bed and stones @ Seti River Camp, Nepal

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Seti River @ Seti River Camp, Nepal

All photos taken by Maria Bitarello in December 2014, in Nepal.
Films used were Kodak Portra 400s, in 35mm and 120mm.

Iya Shango

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« Todo tempo é susceptível de virar um tempo sagrado;
a todo momento, a duração pode ser transmudada em eternidade. »
« In illo tempore, nos tempos míticos, tudo era possível. »
Mircea Eliade

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A repetição do cotidiano, massacrante a princípio, sublima, pelo cansaço, seus agentes. Gestos e saudações que repetem, ao infinito, o ato criador, a origem da aldeia, da tribo, do mundo. Aldeia : centro do mundo. No ato de cozinhar, de cantar, de reverenciar está sempre, por detrás, o gesto original e criador : o gesto mesmo do divino, que se atualiza no presente através do homem, trazendo o tempo sagrado, o tempo do mito para o tempo profano a qualquer momento, sem aviso, sem censura. Não é só no rito que o tempo sagrado se regenera, mas todos os dias, de novo, e de novo, e de novo.

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As crianças, assim que saem das costas das mães, andam em bando, uma comunidade de infantes que garantem eles próprios seus cuidados. A princípio nus, depois vestidos; primeiro dormindo nas costas da mãe, depois na da irmã ou prima ou vizinha ou nenhuma delas, por fim andando, correndo. As mulheres estão sempre a trabalhar, costas arqueadas em direção ao chão, na limpeza, na cozinha, incessantes e incansáveis provedoras que buscam água, acendem o fogo. Os homens agraciam-se, uns aos outros, com o carinho e o toque que não se vê entre um homem e uma mulher, um homem e suas mulheres. Observam, da sombra. Homens que são.

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Na perfeita ordem do universo, que do caos de suas partículas restabelece o sentido, elimina o sobressalente, realinha os elementos. Caos, como um átomo visto de fora, elétrons a se chocarem, um centro nuclear inatingível, e a energia entre os dois. Alguns elétrons que são bombardeados para fora da unidade, nucléolos em explosão, convulsão, catarse. O som percussivo pulsa, bate, ataca, repele, seduz, conduz, alucina, sublima. Cala.

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Desfaz-se o centro, dissipa-se a energia. E de repente o caos parecia muito mais coreografado que a apatia que se segue, olhares que voltam-se uns para os outros, tambores silenciosos, corpos sem espasmos, poeira assentada, Céu e Terra desgarrados. A energia – puf! – sumiu, não está mais ali. Está em todo lugar, está em outro lugar. A vivência do divino é tão real quanto a terra vermelha embaixo das unhas. Vivência para uns, testemunho para outros. Como foi ontem e será amanhã, desde sempre, para sempre, como sempre, não se conta o tempo. Há quem esteja, mas aqui é.

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Kétou é o centro do mundo.

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Photographed in Kétou, Benin, in January 2009.

Photos by
Maria Bitarello and Fábio Nascimento.
Texto: Maria Bitarello
A film by Nuno Aires.
Sound by Camille Barrât.

Exhibition at Galérie Goutte de Terre,
in Paris, in the spring of 2011.

The kindness of strangers…

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Menina Vânia, Portugal @ O Porto, Portugal

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Café a Brazileira @ Braga, Portugal

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Rodrigo, Brasil @ Braga, Portugal

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Cândida, Portugal @ Goães, Portugal

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Moysés, Portugal @ Goães, Portugal

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Luis, Portugal @ Rubiães, Portugal

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Carlos, Portugal @ Cossourado, Portugal

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Rio Minho
Valença do Minho, Portugal / Tui, España

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Rio Minho
La frontera

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Gerry, England @ Tui, España

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Iryna, Ukraine @ Redondela, España

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Andy and Lauren, USA @ Redondela, España

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Diana, USA @ Pontevedra, España

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Christine and Maureen, England @ Pontevedra, España

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Campanário del Monasterio de Herbón, España

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Monasterio de Herbón, España

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Claustro del Monasterio de Herbón, España

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Vincent, France @ Monasterio de Herbón, España

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Vincent, France @ Monasterio de Herbón, España

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João, Portugal @ Monasterio de Herbón, España

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Paco, el hospitalero del Monasterio de Herbón, España

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Marja, Netherlands @ Padrón, España

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Antoine, Netherlands @ Padrón, España

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Maureen, England @ Pórtico del Perdón de Santiago de Compostela

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Christine, England @ Pórtico del Perdón de Santiago de Compostela

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Eládio, España @ Pórtico del Perdón de Santiago de Compostela

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La Basilica de Santiago de Compostela, España

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Me @ Santiago de Compostela, España

Photos taken on the Camiño de Santiago de Compostela, between Braga, Portugal, and Santiago, España, from june 2nd to june 11th 2013.

Thank you to everyone who let me photograph them.
Thank you to everyone I crossed paths with.
Thank you to all.

Thank you.

Incredible India

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MINING THE LIGHT
Golconda Fort, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India (2012)

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MARKET AND PRAYER
Laad Bazar, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India (2012)

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MYSTS
Temple @ Golconda Fort, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India (2012)

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STORYTELLING
Golconda Fort, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India (2012)

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FORTIFIED CITY
Golconda Fort, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India (2012)

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SHORT-CIRCUITED PEARLS
Laad Bazar, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India (2012)

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CHORES
Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India (2012)

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LASSI
Laad Bazar, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India (2012)

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PRAYER AND MISCHIEF
Temple @ Golconda Fort, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India (2012)

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MUSLIM-HINDU HENGE
Golconda Fort, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India (2012)

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HIGH-SCHOOL TELUGO
Laad Bazar, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India (2012)

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ADOLESCENCE
Golconda Fort, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India (2012)

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HITEC CITY
Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India (2012)

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GURMIT, THE SIKH
Temple @ Golconda Fort, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India (2012)

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MOHAMMED
Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India (2012)

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INDIAN MAN
Fort @ Golconda Fort, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India (2012)

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THREE WHEELS
Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India (2012)

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MUSLIM WALL
Golconda Fort, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India (2012)