Frontières
by Taillez Maxime
portfolio shortlisted call 'URBANAUTICA INSTITUTE AWARDS 2020', 2020
Category: Anthropology and Territories
"In the collective imagination, the idea of crossing a border depicts a sudden, or even brutal change of surrounding. In a globalized world, this is less and less the case, especially in the Europe of Schengen.
Born and raised in the north of France, I have crossed the border with Belgium so many times that it seems it does not even exist anymore. For me, border areas reflect more of a personal geography than a concrete delimitation.
Nevertheless, border areas are for most people a space of exchange more than a place for fast transitions.
The no man's land found around the former customs have become actual destinations dedicated to a low range tourism in low-taxes commercial areas."
This project is a documentary on life and landscapes at France's border, how people deal with an environment that has lost his main purpose, and a reflection on the very essence of borders.