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In just a few hours I will be leaving for Germany and no I am not packed yet; I always do that last minute. However, most importantly the precious prints for my exhibition are all ready – beautifully printed, and ready to go into my hand luggage to go on the trip abroad. After putting so much energy and heart into this project I am nervous as well as excited tonight. Every time we show our work to other people we are putting ourselves out there; exposing ourselves to the risk of people criticising our work as well as to people taking great pleasure in seeing our work and congratulating us. How will the viewers respond? This project being so personal I feel even more nervous than with other exhibitions. People who I photographed are people who I grew up with and spent the first 19 years of my life with – how will they respond to the way I represent them in the pictures? How will they relate to the exhibition and the multimedia piece?

As I mentioned before, this project was a re-connection to where I am from and it has been a wonderful experience. Not always easy but wonderful nevertheless. Watching and listening to the interviews again and again when putting together the film many people still don’t fail to move me and to make me smile. It makes me realise how enriching engaging with people can be; if only we take the time to listen and to ask questions. It is beautiful; no more no less.

Last but not least, I am yet again extremely grateful for the help and support of a dear friend. A big thanks goes to Paul without whom both the exhibition and the multimedia piece would not have been possible.

A few (roughly scanned) portraits from the project are below.

And now I better get packing!:-)

Franz-Josef Bastert. Time at school 1936-1944.

Marie Schüttler. Time at school 2008-2012.

Karl Rüth. Time at school 1933-1941.

Christa Tillmann-Susewind. Time at school 1974-1978.

Werner Lang. Time at school 1956-1964.