Stories

Different photo documentaries shot in the last decade around Southeast Asia.

Saigon used to be full of old apartment buildings, some were built in the 1950s or 1960s while others could be dated back to French colonial times. Many of these buildings have been inhabited by the same families over generations. People know each other. It is almost like a vertical village with shops, markets, restaurants, etc. However, in recent years, more and more of these structures have been torn down.

The photos in this series have been taken between 2008 and 2013; by now, some of the buildings portrayed here have already ceased to exist. These include the Hotel President on Tran Hung Dao Street - a former apartment building reserved for American GI’s during the war, and the Eden Building right at the corner of Dong Khoi and Le Loi streets.

While the highest rates of HIV in Vietnam can still be seen among high-risk groups such as injecting drug users (IDUs), female sex workers (FSWs) and men who have sex with men (MSM)it is also a problem that more and more concerns the general population. According to UNAIDS the prevalence was estimated at 0.53% in 2007.HIV patients in Vietnam can receive free treatment with ARV's (Antiretroviral drugs) which make it possible to live an almost normal life if taken regular. However the medication can have strong side effects.

The photos in this Series have been shot in 2010.

Hoang Thi Dao, 65 years old, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Dao earns her living since more than 20 years by picking through the garbage in the cities Go Vap district and selling everything that is possible to recycle. With this she makes around 20.000 VND (around 1 USD) per night. She takes care of her two granddaughters Truc and Cuc (12 years old).

This story originally appeared in AsiaLIFE magazine in 2009.

Yangon Drift is a personal and subjective account of my first visit to the former capital of Burma.

After spending a week roaming around the city, I decided not to do a story in the conventional way, but to do something I felt I could only do this time - a total subjective visual account of my first time in this place. Any time after that I would come here again, I would have expectations. So i tried to capture this fresh first impression. Looking at the liberalization process of Myanmar I also think that the country will look very different the next time I will be there. Already the country is seen as “the final frontier” one of the last untapped markets in the world, and what this means can be seen all over Southeast Asia. Yangon Drift is a snapshot of the moment when it all starts...