"Turning the Page" is a documentary photo essay developed in Portugal, which focuses on the change brought about in individuals who have been traumatized as a result of violent crimes in the past. These people, whilst fighting their shame, fear and vulnerability, reached out the Portuguese Association for Victim Support, APAV (Associação Portuguesa de Apoio à Vítima) - which helped me out finding these people.
Between September 2014 and April 2015 I photographed and interviewed approximately 30 people who suffered from domestic violence, human trafficking, stalking, street violence and others who were traumatized by the murder of someone close to them.
The current project is not only about the violence these women and men suffered. It is essentially about how they are doing now and how they dealt or are dealing with their trauma from the past.
Telling the story of these people gave me the opportunity to show their braveness when facing such a heavy reality and also to show how strong they are when deciding to start a new life, in situations where is difficult to find a way out.
