Private Story
Por Aquí Todo Bien
Summary
The series sheds light on how a criminal organization creeps into the intimacy of youths living in the outskirts of San Pedro Sula, Honduras. There these kids deal with the precariousness of their life and their future.
Revealing their emotional reality, "Por Aquí Todo Bien" (translated: all good around here) questions the personal experience of a group of teenagers as they deal with the endemic presence of street gangs and the violence perpetrated by state and non-state actors.
Revealing their emotional reality, "Por Aquí Todo Bien" (translated: all good around here) questions the personal experience of a group of teenagers as they deal with the endemic presence of street gangs and the violence perpetrated by state and non-state actors.
Governments, usually for Political gain, define Central American gangs, such as La Mara Salvatrucha (MS13) or the Barrio 18, as transnational criminal organizations with sophisticated structures, comparing them to drug cartels or mafias. But while mafias and cartels rely on heavily centralized hierarchical systems, the anatomy of these gangs is highly decentralized. They operate independently with neighborhood-level groups. Their main activities revolve around drug dealing and extortion of residents and businesses, often deploying spectacular levels of violence to build their reputation. But beyond these fearsome tactics lies a loosely organized structure of youths ruling over low-income communities.
In 2018 I established a relationship with teenagers in an 18th Street gang-controlled area. They are made into members, lookouts, civilians, and eventually, old friends who grew up together. Throughout a series of shared experiences and by confronting each other's belief system, we both lived a process of mutual understanding. This exchange, over the years, has built up a bond of mutual trust and emotional intimacy, leading to the creation of a collaborative project.
The resulting series avoids describing the physical details of the subjects' lives, opting for a visual translation of their emotional reality instead. They confront the loss of their friends, a conflicted sense of good and evil as the environment melts their fears and hopes for the future.
The grant would allow me to fully engage without any editorial constraints. I will document the transformation of their relationship as some of them will leave the community and their country. And others will become or continue to be gang members.
News reports show only one side of gang members. On the other hand, a long-term project like this can show their multifaceted personalities and will improve the understanding of the reasons youths join these organizations, shedding light on the grey area where street gangs operate.
The work will conclude with a book and exhibition in the community where the subjects live, providing an insight into the personal experience of a group of young men as they play with fire and dive into dark waters, all the while still looking at the moon.
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