My initial encounter with the “Survivor” reality show began
somewhere back in 2000, I was 11 at the time. It was the first season of the American Survivor, which was filmed in Malaysia and caused a big fuss. Already then I felt like I wanted to be a part of this thing called “Survivor”.
something about the formant and the connection with nature excited me. I have always had a feeling that deep down inside I was a wild boy, although a city boy who was used to the sound of busses and smoke, but my
heart and soul were roaming in the heart of the jungle in
underwear and a machete in hand in order to survive.
somewhere back in 2000, I was 11 at the time. It was the first season of the American Survivor, which was filmed in Malaysia and caused a big fuss. Already then I felt like I wanted to be a part of this thing called “Survivor”.
something about the formant and the connection with nature excited me. I have always had a feeling that deep down inside I was a wild boy, although a city boy who was used to the sound of busses and smoke, but my
heart and soul were roaming in the heart of the jungle in
underwear and a machete in hand in order to survive.
During the years I was exposed to quite a lot of attempts to
convince me to join auditions for the program, but something about the exposure on television
felt like it was all too much for me, I passed on the opportunity.
convince me to join auditions for the program, but something about the exposure on television
felt like it was all too much for me, I passed on the opportunity.
On a hot summer day in June 2018 as I was sitting with my
bother in our new office, talking about the business we had just opened, I get a phone call. To my surprise, the call is from the production company of “Survivor”, asking me to come be a photographer on the upcoming season.
Exciting! I tell her I will call her back with an answer.
My first thought is to refuse the offer. I was in a period of new beginnings, constructing a professional career and a
flourishing relationship. how could I leave it all and fly across the world? For two months to be so far away from my family and girlfriend, and so many other thoughts running through my mind, my best friend was due to
marry, and my dog needs me close every night.
bother in our new office, talking about the business we had just opened, I get a phone call. To my surprise, the call is from the production company of “Survivor”, asking me to come be a photographer on the upcoming season.
Exciting! I tell her I will call her back with an answer.
My first thought is to refuse the offer. I was in a period of new beginnings, constructing a professional career and a
flourishing relationship. how could I leave it all and fly across the world? For two months to be so far away from my family and girlfriend, and so many other thoughts running through my mind, my best friend was due to
marry, and my dog needs me close every night.
The first thing I did after hanging up the phone was to call my girlfriend, Naama, I shared with her news news. She nearly fainted with excitement: “you have to do it!” was the first thing she said, with inspiring spontaneity ״this is your gift for turning 30, you have to seize this opportunity” she went on to say, as did my brother and anyone
else I shared my doubts with.
else I shared my doubts with.
Life, I told myself, is a sequence of opportunities and the right timing. sometimes we make plans, but encounter surprises along the way, we must take advantage of them, all along remembering to stay true to our heart and intuitions.
So I decided to go on this journey, leaving all my doubts behind.
From the moment I made my decision, I began a long journey of preparations, physically and mentally, getting ready to take this big step. such a big production abroad,
what do you take with you? what if I lack something while Iʼm there? what kind of clothing will I need? where will I be living? who will I meet? how many cameras
should I take with me? what about black coffee?? out of all of the long photography trips I have taken, I have never had the chance to be a part of something so big.
what do you take with you? what if I lack something while Iʼm there? what kind of clothing will I need? where will I be living? who will I meet? how many cameras
should I take with me? what about black coffee?? out of all of the long photography trips I have taken, I have never had the chance to be a part of something so big.
Two months left before the flight, I didn't even know the
destination, it was kept a secret until the very last moment, which left room for me to make speculations about the
destination, it was kept a secret until the very last moment, which left room for me to make speculations about the
destination and what I will encounter there. This gave me time to imagine all the people I would meet, which
later became clear that the gap between my imagination and the reality would only grow larger with time through out the journey.
later became clear that the gap between my imagination and the reality would only grow larger with time through out the journey.
Finally the end of august arrived, I left for the airport and started a journey in which anything was possible.
The drive to the location of the program lasted about three days. Three long flights across the world, a 15 hour bus ride and another two hours by boat to reach the camp, all of this in order to give 18 candidates the opportunity to experience survival as far away as possible (physically and mentally) from the bustling country they live in.
On the way to camp I spotted a few little huts that looked
unsuitable for human habitation, and it made me think of the whole concept of the “survivor” program.
We travel all this way to create Artificial survival conditions, while here are living real “survivors”, where this is their day to day reality, nobody films them and it doesn't last only two moths. it was a painful realisation.
unsuitable for human habitation, and it made me think of the whole concept of the “survivor” program.
We travel all this way to create Artificial survival conditions, while here are living real “survivors”, where this is their day to day reality, nobody films them and it doesn't last only two moths. it was a painful realisation.
I felt that no matter how empathetic I was to these people,
how hard I tried to make a connection with the person in
front of me, the same native islander born on the island, I
would never be able to be a natural part of the place.
I could never understand or really get to know them. No matter how much I walked around here, I
simply could not reach the level of an absolute experience like I wanted.
how hard I tried to make a connection with the person in
front of me, the same native islander born on the island, I
would never be able to be a natural part of the place.
I could never understand or really get to know them. No matter how much I walked around here, I
simply could not reach the level of an absolute experience like I wanted.
With time, I had a strong urge to become a local for a while, look around and recognise every trail tree and rock in these villages, to be able to see into the mind of the little child running across the rice fields. what goes through his
mind when he sees us driving through all the time with our
jeeps? how is his life? does he have a good one?
mind when he sees us driving through all the time with our
jeeps? how is his life? does he have a good one?
As a photographer, the photographs I take document my
point of view on life, they are my way of relying to you what
interests me, what excited me. it was important for me, among the rest, to document the dissonance
between the reality show filmed on the island and the reality of those people living close by.
point of view on life, they are my way of relying to you what
interests me, what excited me. it was important for me, among the rest, to document the dissonance
between the reality show filmed on the island and the reality of those people living close by.
During the times when I was not needed as a photographer for the production, I wandered away from our high standard life and living quarters, I went to the villages
and the small huts in order to gain a bit perspective, to understand that everything in life is relative.
These short visits are what created my story on this unique
and special Peninsula.
and the small huts in order to gain a bit perspective, to understand that everything in life is relative.
These short visits are what created my story on this unique
and special Peninsula.
Every photograph tells a whole story, about a child, a family, a community and village through
my eyes and lens. I was able to see, comprehend
and photograph the lives which were so full, and modest, so
connected and authentic. Hopefully I was able to reflect,
through my lens, the daily encounter of the locals with the
wild nature, in a bold and blunt way, in a way thatʼs different from our own safe and supervised encounters. Their way of life consists of simplicity and closeness with nature.
my eyes and lens. I was able to see, comprehend
and photograph the lives which were so full, and modest, so
connected and authentic. Hopefully I was able to reflect,
through my lens, the daily encounter of the locals with the
wild nature, in a bold and blunt way, in a way thatʼs different from our own safe and supervised encounters. Their way of life consists of simplicity and closeness with nature.
It seems as though we have veered so far away from the real nature that we have reached a point that we create artificial external events in order to reconnect to simple life in nature, today we need to create reality shows in order to remember who we are and where we came from.
We, the “westerners” tend to think that these locals live in
survival mode constantly, providing for their self the most
basic needs and no more than that. During this trip I came to realize how great the gap was between the Stereotypical perceptions I had, which was a result of living in
a western world. As it turns out, these locals live a
full family and communal life, learning and evolving, busy with self fulfilment. they mostly take pleasure in their strong
connection with nature, and all the good that it and life have to offer.
We, the “westerners” tend to think that these locals live in
survival mode constantly, providing for their self the most
basic needs and no more than that. During this trip I came to realize how great the gap was between the Stereotypical perceptions I had, which was a result of living in
a western world. As it turns out, these locals live a
full family and communal life, learning and evolving, busy with self fulfilment. they mostly take pleasure in their strong
connection with nature, and all the good that it and life have to offer.
So for certain people these pictures will just be another
photograph of an exotic native or just a cute child, but for me these photographs are a mirror. A mirror that allows me to look at my, our, culture with another perspective.
These are moments that allow me to take a break from this race called life, moments that allow me to stop and think of Existential questions like: how much longer will we run in circles around ourselves, fighting each other, prying into others lives, when will we start dealing with things that
really matter, put the useless dramas aside, and really start
living?
photograph of an exotic native or just a cute child, but for me these photographs are a mirror. A mirror that allows me to look at my, our, culture with another perspective.
These are moments that allow me to take a break from this race called life, moments that allow me to stop and think of Existential questions like: how much longer will we run in circles around ourselves, fighting each other, prying into others lives, when will we start dealing with things that
really matter, put the useless dramas aside, and really start
living?
