Student's Photography Project Captures Trauma Survivors' Resilience Post-October 7
Translated & summarized from Hamal by baba
Psychology student Romi Maidani created a photography project called "If This Is Life - Let Us Live" to document the resilience of October 7th survivors. The project features friends who experienced the trauma, focusing on their lives beyond the attacks and their determination to build a future. Photographed in Tel Aviv, the subjects share their stories, emphasizing that their trauma is a daily reality requiring ongoing attention.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Romi Maidani's photography project "If This Is Life - Let Us Live" documents October 7th survivors' resilience.
- The project aims to show individuals living beyond their trauma, focusing on their capacity for life and future.
- Subjects include Nova festival survivors, reservists, and those who lost loved ones in the October 7th attacks.
- Photographs are taken in Tel Aviv, contrasting inner reflection with the city's constant motion.
- Maidani highlights the importance of daily remembrance and acknowledging survivors' ongoing struggles.
- The project emphasizes that survivors are more than their trauma and are actively choosing to live.
A photography project titled "If This Is Life - Let Us Live" is documenting the experiences of individuals affected by the October 7th attacks, focusing on their resilience and ongoing lives beyond the trauma. Created by 25-year-old psychology student Romi Maidani, the project began as a personal endeavor to support friends who suffered deeply from the events, including survivors of the Nova music festival, reservists, and those who lost family members.
Maidani aimed to portray her subjects not solely as victims of trauma but as multifaceted individuals living with their scars. She sought to highlight their capacity for joy, love, and future-building despite the profound challenges they face. The project's name emerged organically from conversations with friends, reflecting the suddenness of life's fragility and the determination to continue living.
Photographed in the bustling heart of Tel Aviv, the subjects are captured against a stark black backdrop with a single spotlight, creating an intimate space for reflection amidst the city's constant motion. Maidani emphasized the importance of this contrast, allowing the viewer to perceive the inner world of the individuals against the backdrop of an unceasing urban environment.
The close relationships between Maidani and her subjects, who are her friends, facilitated deeper, more vulnerable expressions. She found that her own willingness to be open created a safe space for them to share their authentic selves. This process underscored for her the significance of genuine human connection and the courage to see and be seen.
As the first anniversary of October 7th approaches without hostages still held in Gaza, Maidani stresses that the trauma and its impact are a daily reality for many. She advocates for ongoing attention and remembrance beyond the annual commemoration, emphasizing that survivors are actively choosing to live, create, and dream despite their ongoing struggles.
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