Paulina Cervenka

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[paulinacervenka]

Great and exciting news for the 'Wanja' project!

I'm so happy to announce that we just received a grant from Fritt Ord to continue the work on my documentary film about Wanja. I am so grateful and happy to get this support. Feels good that someone else believes in my project enough to support it. So far the project has been fully financed by myself, this grant really gives me the opportunity to develope the project further and spend more time on it.

The reason I write 'we (just received)' is because I have more good news. I am now working with the Norwegian productions company Motlys. We have signed an option agreement and will be collaborating on the development of this project for the next year (and hopefully longer if everything goes well). My producer is called Natalya Sarch, a young, passionate and talented woman! Welcome to the team Natalya!

The project is entering exciting times!

[paulinacervenka]

Portraits of Wanja - a birthday gift for her 39th birthday.

[paulinacervenka]

A continuation of my project about Wanja. In June she went to Ekstremsportsveko in Voss, Norway - an annual ekstremesports festival. It has been her dream to go there for a long time and finally she did. One of the goals for the trip was to go paragliding. This is a small edit of her flight. Unfortunately, for now, it’s only in Norwegian. An English version will come shortly

Wanja is suffering from the deadly disease ALS. She wants to live her last years to the fullest and create as many good memories as possible.

This project is an ongoing multimedia project that will result in a documentary film as well as an photographic story. The project was started in 2012 and will continue to the very end.

Follow the project at: https://www.facebook.com/projectwanja

And Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/album/2906870

[paulinacervenka]

#hurraforsykebesøk

It’s been quiet from me the last two months. In the end of Easter I suffered a concussion while having a surf.

In a long period after the accident I struggled with symptoms and pains, but  maybe the hardest thing was dealing with it mentally. Often people are afraid of getting in touch when someone is ill or struggling. I was scared this was going to happen to me. I was lonely. Then one day a very good friend called and said ‘can I come over?’. It was so simple, but it brought me so much joy. Yes, it was tiring to have someone over, but at least I knew I wasn’t alone, someone cared.

With my iPhone I spontaneously started photographing everyone who knocked on my door, and posted it to my instagram @paulinacer. The pictures were an expression of love and gratitude towards the amazing people I was surrounded by. It turned out to be my favorite series of pictures to this day.

To see the complete series go to my Instagram: paulinacer or check out #hurraforsykebesøk

Hurra for sykebesøk (#hurraforsykebesøk) means Hurray for sick calls

[paulinacervenka]

Happy birthday Wanja

Today Wanja turns 39 years. One more year has ended and another one is starting. I wish Wanja all the luck and health in the world and hope this year will be a good one. If there is one person that deserves it it’s Wanja! Keep that spirit burning and keep the laughs coming. Thank you for the trust you have shown me by letting me and my camera in to your life, it’s an honor!

[paulinacervenka]

This months issue of the Norwegian photography magazine ‘Fotografi’ has published an interview with me where I talk about Wanja, a documentary film project I am currently working on. If you don’t have the opportunity to get the magazine (and you speak Norwegian) you can read the full article and see some pictures from the project here: http://www.bildernordic.no/arkiv/alumniprosjekt-wanja-av-paulina-cervenka

[paulinacervenka]

Wanja - a sneak peak I just launched a little preview of my work so far with the story about Wanja. A project about a young woman suffering from the deadly disease ALS, also known as Lou Gehrigs disease.

This project is an ongoing multimedia project and will result in a documentary film as well as an photographic story. The project was started in 2012 and will continue to the very end.

Follow the project at: https://www.facebook.com/projectwanja

[paulinacervenka]

I just launched a facebook page dedicated to the story about Wanja, a documentary film- and photoproject that I'm working on. Wanja is a young woman suffering from the deadly disease ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease.

The disease gradually robs a little bit of Wanjas' muscles, a bit more of her ability to speak, a bit of her energy and her time on earth. However, it does not steal her strong will to live, her joy from the painfree hours and her dreams about things still to be achieved. She still wants a shot at life.

I have been following Wanja for over a year and will continue to follow her to the very end. I will of course keep my tumbler up to date on this project, but if you are interested in following it closer feel free to like the page.

https://www.facebook.com/projectwanja

[paulinacervenka]

The streets of New Gibellina, Old Gibellina and the town of Poggioreale.

Everyone has their own way of dealing with great losses. This became very evident to Christian and I when we visited the Belice valley. Gibellina had a very special way, building a gigantic sculpture (for more on this, see the previous post) over their dead village. The village of Poggioreale on the other hand decided they wanted to keep their ruins intact, the way they were left after the earthquake of 1968. They moved out, built a new town not far away and left the old one to stand as a monument of the past.

As I wander the streets of the three towns, new Gibellina, old Gibellina and Poggioreale I am struck by the similarities of the three. The same ear-defending silence, the same nostalgia the same emptiness. It’s strange to me, after all one of these three is a living town full of people. It was ment as a monument of new life, a rebirth you can say, yet it seems like yet another monument of the past.

[paulinacervenka]

Cretto di Burri

When you walk through the streets of the Cretto you are hit by the immense silence. The only sound being the weight of your breath as you make your way through the steep hillside streets of Old Gibellina, now covered by the massive concrete sculpture - Cretto de Burri.

The earthquake of 1968 left the valley of Belice, and all it’s 25 rural villages, in pieces. 100 000 people lost their homes and 1000 people were killed. Many died in the days after the quake due to poor and slow emergency rescue work. Gibellina, a village of 5000 inhabitants was the hardest hit.

The survivors decided to move on and build a new town, a new Gibellina  leaving the old behind. This is the story of how they left it. On the steep hillside between grape fields that have been grown by the local farmers for centuries there used to be a town. Then there was ruins. Now, however, the town, the ruins are covered by an enormous concrete blanket. A sculpture called ‘Cretto di Burri’ - Burris’ crack, made by artist Alberto Burri. It is said to be the worlds largest sculpture, almost 100 000 square meters. The ruined streets, blocks and houses have been kept intact under the blanket. So when you walk the streets of the Cretto your also walking the streets of Old Gibellina. Maybe you are passing the barbershop on the corner, the butcher shop on the hillside and the kids playing in front of it. The Cretto was Gibellinas way of burying their dead and moving on. It also marks the peoples hope for the future. Many are firm believers that this sculpture in particular will one day bring people from all over the world to their little town and that it will get it’s merited place in art history.

[paulinacervenka]

"Gibellina is beautiful, but it's a town full of ghosts" the Sicilians say.

Last autumn journalist Christain Lysvåg and I traveled to Sicily and worked on some exciting stories. My absolute favorite story was the story of beautiful but odd Gibellina. In 1968 Old Gibellina, as it is called now, was struck by a horrible earthquake that completely destroyed the little rural town, as well as many of the neighboring towns. It was decided that a new town would be build. The old would be left at peace, and later covered by a gigantic sculpture (I will post a new post about this later this month). It would be a town like no other town, based on modern art, architecture and ideology. Artists from all over the world jumped on the opportunity to contribute to this experiment. It brought a period of joy and growth as the people and artists built their new town. It was built in concrete, the streets wide and symmetrical like the ribs on a butchers cutting board. Very different from a typical Italian village. With time the party faded.

Everywhere you go in this little town you can find art, but it's a strange sight. The streets are empty. Where are the people admiring this great part of art history? Where are the locals? The farmers? The happy and social Italian man? The streets are silent, it's beautiful and sad all at once. This is the story of the city that died, was reborn and now stands as somewhat of a question mark. In the March issue of Aftenposten Innsikt you can read the story of Gibellina. I'm really happy to see this story in print as I absolutely love it. Christian Lysvåg did a great job on the text. Basically i'm really proud of what we created together. This month I'll post several outtakes from the story so stay tuned:)

[paulinacervenka]

92 and still going strong!

Today is his my grandpas 92nd birthday, he is such a champ and I am so happy that he is still here. I have been photographing him for a little over 2 years and I'm hoping for many more years to come. When I started photographing him my goal was to see what aging eyes see when they look in the mirror. Often it's difficult for me to accept what Deda sees. I want him to see what I see, a man who is incredibly healthy and strong to be 92 years of age. But it's not what he sees. He sees an old and weak man with an aching body that is slowing down day by day. I don't know much about getting older, I'm only 24, but I can understand that it can be hard to accept. Going from strong and healthy to feeling the age catch up with you. I'm still trying to understand the process he is going through, and I don't think I will ever fully understand, maybe when I get old one day, knock on wood.

These are some analogs from when I started photographing him in 2012. The artwork in the background was made by my late grandmother, Vera Skrabalova.

Unfortunately my trip to celebrate Dedas birthday was cut short when I fell sick on Friday, the night before I was leaving. I couldn't risk infecting him and stayed home in Norway. I spoke to him today and we decided we would celebrate his birthday 'our way' as soon as I get well:)

Happy birthday! I love you, And I wish you everything well:)

[paulinacervenka]

Tomorrow I´m leaving for Bratislava to celebrate Dedas 92nd birthday! :D I'm super excited to see him again. Of course my camera is coming with me.

[paulinacervenka]

Dennis

In todays VG: Today journalist Jakop Nielsen and I have a story about the man behind the Norwegian Olympic Ishockey teams keeper helmets, Dennis Haanshuus (woah, that was a long sentence). This is our first story together and we landed the middle spread in the sports section! Pretty stoked. As a little treat for my awesome followers I´m posting the pictures published and some more:)

[paulinacervenka]

A post from my Instagram @paulinacer: Proud and happy! Wanja got all the way to the top on her first attempt at rock climbing. Her goal was to get above knee level... Wanja is suffering from ALS, a deadly disease. She wants to live her last years to the fullest. I have been following and filming Wanja for over a year now, and will follow her all the way to the end.

[paulinacervenka]

Deda often gets sick and tired of me taking pictures of him all the time, so every now and then this happens: Deda grabs my old Yashica FX-3 super 2000 and gets back at me! Kind of cute, we have the same slightly squint perspective, I guess it runs in the blood.

I miss him! I´ve been meaning to get my ass back to Bratislava for ages  but never found the time. Time needs to be made very soon I think.

Click here to see the ongoing project about Deda

[paulinacervenka]

Dokfoto 2014

Tomorrow the yearly photo festival, Dokfoto, is being held in Oslo. For three days we'll get to hear some of the worlds top photojournalists speak about their projects while seeing their images.

I´m excited (and pretty nervous) to announce that I´ll be presenting the amazing photographers Mary Calvert and Peter Dench on tomorrows opening of Dokfoto. So if your in town and you've been dying to see me make a fool out of myself, or your just really excited to see and hear about the work of these great photographers, make your way to Litteraturhuset in Oslo!

Hope I'll see you there!

To buy tickets and see the program, go to Dokfotos webpage: http://dokfoto.no/