wwp@yahoogroups.com:
my story : le pont rouge - a suicide bridge
Mickael Therer 2004-Sep-27 22:51:00
from the minute the choice of bridges was announced I thought:"chucks takes me
years back to my first photography classes". Then as time passed I began thinking
that it was a second chance (I miserably failed that exercice at the time) and maybe I
could do something simple this time.
I started listing the spectacular bridges i could have nearby: zero. A little further
away: zero . All are modern bridges and the only ones I could think of where in wwp2
already. France is not out of reach but I thought i'd leave that to my great co-listers
on the French list. Holland? yeah I thought Arnhem bridges are right on target. Luckily
I changed my mind or that would have left my sore face on Gerard's great pano and
me without anything to show !
so I set myself on simplicity, there are 2 bridges in my backyard. No big deal, just 2
concrete plaques joining the grassy banks of the river Mehaigne, used to allow the
crossing of cows, no ornaments, no traffic, bearely noticeable at all. It seamed like a
good choice, in the early morning when the fog floats from the river and the sun
pierces through the trees the light can be beautiful there. That was my first choice, I
could even go and shoot it in my pyjamas as it's right out my bedroom ... if the light
comes between 18-22 September. It didn't.
Meanwhile as I was still running my brain on hypothetical great bridges within my
reach, i remembered seeing a short film some 10 or 15 years ago I wasn't sure when
it was or where it was. I could only remember the movie was called 'Le Pont Rouge"
(the red bridge) and it carried a terrible story of people throwing themselves from it.
and I had the intuition it wasn't far.
It didn't take long to locate the bridge : Luxembourg some 200 kms away. it took a
little longer to locate the bridge there but on the 16th I finally had its coordiinates
and a roadmap to get there. I decided to allow one day away from my dear garden
bridge and drive off to Luxembourg to see what it looked like.
when I got there I realized how monstruous and red it was. I also realized I had a very
sad story in mind and only pictures to show relating to past and unseen events. What
was meant to be a simple exercice was turning into sth much more difficult to
achieve. Also, the sky was clear blue, the light vertical and the shadows deep. The
hills were very steep and the district below the bridge was now under the grown
trees. The sound of it was also frightening.
Of that day in Luxembourg I kept 3 panos I'm still unsure which I will post on the wwp
(although my wife has a strong opinion on that and i will probably follow her)
here they are along with the story of the bridge
http://mediapiculture.net/360days/index.php?id=33
I'd be happy to get some feedback
-mickael