Somewhere in China: the story of Doctor Ma

The Loss of Community: A Surreal Photographic Journey by Dominique Musorrafiti

This is the story of young Dr. Mǎ 马 who has lived his childhood in this suburban neighborhood.

His parents were migrant workers, who sacrificed themselves to save and set aside money for their only son. They didn’t see him grow up and spend with him the most important traditional Chinese holidays for the sole purpose of being able to give him a better future. Mǎ has been raised with love by his grandparents. He played, with his friends, in the narrow streets of this urban village. His grandparents now are dead, and his friends, like him, have moved to other cities to study or work. Mǎ has a degree in medicine. Like his parents, he didn’t spend the Chunjie and other holidays with his family, due to save some money, but also to avoid being in the crush of large flows of people. Mǎ is a simple person, his dream was to be able to practice his profession here, in his suburban neighborhood, to help people who have made him strong and helped him become what he is … He has saved money to open his own small medical studio, but surely it is also up to him, no one can feel relieved if it was decided so, so it must be! Mǎ comes back and doesn’t find the urban village where he lived: it must be demolished and this is what happened … No matter what are his dreams or his sacrifices …

“ it’s a story of a man
who works hard as he can
just to be a man who stands on his own
but the book always burns
as the story takes its turn
and leaves a broken man …

I’ve been taken for a fool so many times!”
(Guns N’ Roses – So Fine – Use Your Illusion II )

Lomography Lubitel 166+ – Aerochrome Color Infrared 120mm Film – Kunming Yunnan China 2012
Lomography LC-A+  – Rollei crossbird 200 35mm Film – Kunming Yunnan China 2012