DWELL – BEYOND MY ROOM
A photographic journey with four Montreal teenagers focused on the notion of home as a space of well-being
2011
Caroline Hayeur conceived this interactive web project in collaboration with Mylena Bergeron and the NFB/interactive -- National Film Board of Canada team. The photographer continues her work with communities and engaging subjects as active participants, for this project exploring the world of adolescents.
Print screen: home page of the web site
DWELL is an intimate journey into the lives of four teenagers – Hamza, Gwenaël, Alice and Lysandre – who share with us their vision of the concept of "home sweet home" through their private space within the heart of the family house: their bedroom. All four participants come from different social and cultural backgrounds, and different neighbourhoods.
This web essay is the artist's invitation to discover day-to-day issues of adolescents through photography and recorded interviews. This project is a follow-up to DWELL – THIS IS MY HOME 2006.
The four apprentices were given a camera and asked to take a series of pictures representing their visions of family, of well-being and of their favourite hobby. Throughout the creative process a real collaboration was established between the teens and the photographer. Caroline Hayeur edited her pictures with theirs to create a surprising poetic narrative, along with the help of the web team of the NFB. The interactivity, mobility and fluidity within large view, panoramic and stop-motion (QVR) images provides the viewer with a sense of close connection with the four teenagers.
“Adolescence is the beginning of real life”
– Alice (13 years old)
Print screen: Lysandre's page
The interviews remixed by the composer Mylena Bergeron are not the stereotyped blasé world-views of teenagers and challenge our common beliefs about this crucial period of life.
DWELL – BEYOND MY ROOM
Technical description: Interactive story produced by NFB/interactive – National Film Board of Canada
Direction and Photography – Caroline Hayeur
Music & Sound Design – Mylena Bergeron
Interactive Design – François Turcotte
Graphic Design – Martin Viau
Research and writing – Caroline Hayeur and Anne-Marie Lavigne
HABITER – AU-DELÀ DE MA CHAMBRE
NFB – National Film Boards of Canada