His belly shows a big scar that reminds him of an episode spent in the intensive care unit of a hospital in Rio. He is the photographer of this picture – Andreas Weiser. It was a tough yet important time for him, he says. Ten years later in a tiny village on the Brazilian island Boipeba he bumps into a fisherman with a similar scar. He can’t help but wonder what his story is and is touched by the man’s sincerety.
The man disappears in his little hut for a moment. As he returns he is carrying a fistful of small stones. They’re kidneystones, responsible for the scar on his belly and now an occasion to talk about his own biography but also about the story of his village. 20 years ago Boipeba used to be a fishing village in a slumber far off the modern world. Those days were put to an end by Boipeba’s accelerated development as a holiday destination.
However, some of the European and Brazilian hotel owners have made an effort to shape a more sustainable tourism in Boipeba. As a communal organization they seek to keep the social and ecological effects at a tolerable level.
Yet for the fisherman the speed with which his village has changed remains hard to comprehend. To him it still seems like a miracle to talk to someone on the phone who lives on the other side of the island. And it appears absurd to imagine people travelling in these massive objects of steel that high above him draw vapor trails onto the deep blue sky.
As they talk Andreas Weiser takes these pictures of the scar they share, even of the kidneystones.
As he returns to Boipeba four years later in April 2012 for more pictures he realizes the man has grown a lot older since their last encounter. In the man’s furrows the photograper detects symptoms of a harsh life in poverty.
Change has left its traces in the former fisherman’s life. Instead of casting his nets he nowadays tries to make a living by selling woven baskets to tourists. Since offshore gas deposits are being exploited the fishing business has decreased as it’s not worthwhile anymore: There’s no fish. Instead there are tourists now. The photographer sighs: “The world’s course.” But this course is not inevitable and with Andreas Weiser we hope to shape it towards an objective of fairness and social equality.
