The last chapter, “letter to my mother,” is inspired by Alicia and the women and children who suffered the abuse of the “King of Clipperton” for two years on the Pacific Island of Clipperton and is dedicated to my mother who was sexually abused as a child.
The letter speaks to my difficulty to relate to her and to deal with her abusive behavior even after she told me her secret. Inspired by a photo book I found in her belongings after she passed away - which was filled with pictures of the woods near the river where she had been abused, in the village where I myself grew up - I revisited my own archives of the place to compile pictures to illustrate this chapter.
During the time I lived there and for a long time after, I was scared to leave our house and it’s only after my mother passed away that I was able to feel safe enough to wander by myself in those woods and take pictures.