Time Stands Still
Romania 2012
Doesn’t this remind you of a story by Tolstoy? The two men walking down the road could well be smug officials who have threatened the poor mother and son who are trying only to make a living with their horse and cart.
I made this into black and white because I want to emphasize the harsh life of people such as these. I love the posture of the man who stands at the head of the horse. The camera caught him in a pose that suggests vulnerability or even fear. The mother’s face peering into the wagon bed seems resigned.
We’ve all experienced these feelings of fear or uncertainty and resignation, although not under these exact circumstances. I feel something when I look at these people. They are real. They are struggling. They live in a land where the people in charge don’t give a dang about them.