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Flight

"One day release is close, the next it's far away"

This photographic series blending reality and fiction was produced by AD, Brahim, Jaja, Karim, Kevin, Lucien, Rass, Stéphane, and Yohann at the Meaux-Chauconin facility, under the guidance of photographer Louis Bontemps. Through these images, they express their emotions and experiences from the time they were imprisoned up to their involvement in the APRÈS prison integration workshop.

Between four walls, surrounded by fences and concrete,
We are sometimes overcome by a deep sadness, teetering on the edge of madness, yet still we dream. We think of what comes next: release, freedom.
The few trees and plants scattered within the fortress that confines us are imprisoned for life, unlike us. It’s like being on a leash in these oppressive buildings and cells. No intimacy, little affection, no touch. One day release is close, the next it’s far away.
For every bit of good news, there are three bits of bad.
The TV schedule holds no more secrets.
The weight of our family’s sadness sometimes rests on our shoulders. Each day, we walk for an hour in small, confined exercise yards.
Behind bolts and locks, we toil for peanuts,
Hoping they’ll help us get back on the right path.
Soon we’ll accelerate, and despite the pitfalls, we’ll finally soar.

Text written by AD with the help of the entire group of participants incarcerated at CP Meaux-Chauconin.

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Gallery
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I’ve lost my freedom and privacy
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Watched, spied on, always under scrutiny
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I speak to you without seeing you
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Behind bars, there are many dark thoughts
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At the end of the line, we’re reminded that the outside world can be nice, but also very dark
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At the end of the line, we’re reminded that the outside world can be nice, but also very dark
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Like a bird in a cage, I dream of flying away
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I'm trying to learn how to fly again
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Sometimes, my own shadow haunts me
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I breathe in white smoke to chase away dark thoughts
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Even when I look outside, I’m looking inside
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I regain some strength when I’m with people like me
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Little by little, I’m getting back on track
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No matter what, I’ll find my wings again
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No matter what, I’ll find my wings again
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No matter what, I’ll find my wings again
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They put their impressions and feelings into images

The photographer's eye.

In 2021, I created photography workshops for social organisations and prisons, later leveraging my social integration experience and knowledge to work with the Meaux-Chauconin facility. The APRÈS prison integration workshop entrusted me with the responsibility of conducting annual workshops with its staff on the integration pathway. In my previous career, I had visited prisons several times and even worked in the workshop a few years prior to gain insight into their everyday work, their commitment to the programme and the impact it had on their lives.

After a successful first session in 2022, a group was formed for 10 collective creative sessions in 2023. We talked about media, art photography, music and creative expression in general. Portrait sessions were set up, enabling each participant to take turns photographing one another. We focused on lighting, composition and the fundamentals of photography. Each person had their own DSLR camera and directed their model, or sometimes vice-versa.

We then worked on building a meaningful series for them. With a bit of patience and cooperation from the prison staff, we were able to take photos in both the cells and communal areas. This process sparked lots of discussion and debate about which photos to include in the series and what might be missing.

AD, Brahim, Lucien, Jaja, Karim, Kevin, Rass, Stéphane, and Yohann each contributed their unique perspectives, allowing a cohesive story to take shape. AD, who is passionate about music, articulated the emerging ideas and suggested the verses and sentences that ultimately formed the final text.

In the end, they put their impressions and feelings into images, from their imprisonment and integration into the APRÈS prison workshop to their symbolic “flight” representing release.

Louis Bontemps

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Louis Bontemps

Photographer

In 2019, Louis Bontemps decided to pursue photography professionally. His ambition became a reality through collaborations with corporate clients and projects centred on French and international news. He specialises in topics related to the deprivation of liberty and to extreme poverty. In early 2021, he launched photography workshops in partnership with social organisations and detention facilities. He is a member of the photographers’ association Divergence.

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