Maramures

Sven Lambin started in 2008 a photographic project in Maramures, an area that’s considered one of the best preserved zones in Europe from the perspective of cultural anthropology and ethnography. Old traditions have remained alive due to the high mountains sheltering the long depression from all sides. He started documenting within the community the stories of local people and their culture and surrounding landscape. These photographs are the expression of his first encounter with these hospitable people.

In the beginning, I spent a lot of time without the camera, just listening to stories of local people and community voices. That meant, going to local churches (the proper soul of the village), and along the way, I was invited for weddings and funerals. During the process, I felt the need to record, preserve and present significant experiences, using not only my camera but also an audio recorder, I began recording the sounds of their natural environments. Spending more time at the same place was important allowing me to respond to people and events and along the way adjust the focus of my work as it proceeded. These first recordings have been made by Yann Bétant,
a friend and Swiss cineast I met in Romania.
Below you can listen to some fragments.

Singing in the church, Budesti Susani.

Singing outside the church, Budesti Susani.

Outside the church, Budesti Susani.