DISTANCE LOVE

Distance Love is a collection of digitally stored memories on the cellphones of migrants living in Chile.

Migrants from South America, Central America and the Caribbean show photographs of their significant others left behind in their country in order to travel to Chile in search of work. Smartphones are the bridge to maintaining the relationship. Here they save the photos of their loved ones and can communicate with them at any time of the day. In the last 10 years the numbers of migrants travelling to Chile has increased exponentially, around 84% of the migrants are from Latin America ( Central and the caribean areas specially) They usually left their countries in order to find better jobs and send money back to their family members left behind.

Chile. Oct. 2015 - 2016.

© Cristóbal Olivares - Image from the DISTANCE LOVE photography project
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Tomás (27) & Gabriela, his partner from Dominican Republic. They have been living in separated countries around 3 yeras now.Tomás work in a restaurant in Santiago, Chile. November 2015

© Cristóbal Olivares - Image from the DISTANCE LOVE photography project
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Rafi (25) & Angie, his ex-partner from Dominican Republic.. They meet 5 years ago and have a daughter together. Rafi has been in Chile for around a year now and they are no longer together because of the distance. Santiago, Chile. November 2015.

© Cristóbal Olivares - Image from the DISTANCE LOVE photography project
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Yuli (20) & Daniel meets in Venezuela. They has been separated for 2 weeks. Yuli travel to Chile in search of work due to the current crisis in Venezuela. They talk all day long via Whatsapp. Santiago, Chile.November 24, 2016

© Cristóbal Olivares - Image from the DISTANCE LOVE photography project
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Joshua & Marie his partner from Haití ( today She lives in New York City). "We communicate by Facebook, e-mails and WhatsApp. I put different love song as ringtone for when she calls me" Joshua works in a restaurant as a welcomer. The have been together for 10 years now and 6 months to the distance. Santiago, Chile. July 2016

© Cristóbal Olivares - Image from the DISTANCE LOVE photography project
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Claudia (34) and Francisco, her husband in Dominican Republic. Claudia has been Living in Chile for 3 months now. "Has been hard, we communicate by cellphone everyday. We have problems because of the distance, I miss him and my kids, besides when I arrived in Chile, at the fifteen days someone broke into my room and stole all my things" Santiago, Chile. November 2015.

© Cristóbal Olivares - Image from the DISTANCE LOVE photography project
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Odalís & Dionisio, Her partner from Dominican Republic. "We have been together for 25 years and I been in Chile for 4 years now. We talk the 24 hours of the day. By e-mail, Facebook and cellphone. We have kids together. Despite the distance, we love each other and soon, when I go to visit, we are gonna get married" Santiago, Chile.November 2015

© Cristóbal Olivares - Image from the DISTANCE LOVE photography project
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Liliana (21) & Josué, her partner from México. They meet 4 years ago. Liliana works cooking Mexican food in Santiago, Chile. November 2015. " Has been hard but I have to go back to Mexico to finish my university studies, anyways" Santiago, Chile. November 2015

© Cristóbal Olivares - Image from the DISTANCE LOVE photography project
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Oscar & Rossana. His wife in Perú. "We've been away 17 years, we've been married almost 27 years. She has her work, is a professional, she doesn't want to come here and leave his family and his profession.We have a daughter. It is hard at first but then comes love and heartbreak, as they used to say: Love from a distance is love of 4. Then you get used, even I got used to living alone. I have to work, pay rent and sending money, same as marriage and all that. The relationship is dead, you know what I mean, the relationship cooled and is no longer the same. Now we have a bond of friendship that remains for the kids. She is not going to wait forever, I understand. I even had various romances here, but nothing concrete because I don't care that anymore, I had the experience of marriage. I'm like a widow, It was good and suddenly went wrong. She doesn't want to marry again, she thinks is better to lives alone for their children. Oscar work as a chef in Santiago. November 2015

© Cristóbal Olivares - Image from the DISTANCE LOVE photography project
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Wiltong (29) & Kimarah (23) his partner in Haití. He has been in Chile for 2 months, before he was in Brasil. Kimarah lives in New Jersey, USA now. They have been together for 2 and a half years and 2 years in distance. Santiago, Chile. November 2015.

© Cristóbal Olivares - Image from the DISTANCE LOVE photography project
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Yems & Alexis his partner from Haití ( She is now living in other country that Yams prefer not to tell) Chile. January 2016

© Cristóbal Olivares - Image from the DISTANCE LOVE photography project
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Katherine (27) & Jhonatan (27) 11 years together and 2 months separated. Both are from Lima, Perú. Katherine travel to Chile in search of work but she can't find any. Actually she is waiting for her work permit papers to be done. They communicate through every medium is possible. Santiago, Chile. 16 de Noviembre del 2016

© Cristóbal Olivares - Image from the DISTANCE LOVE photography project
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Alezandra & Giovanni her partner from Dominican Republic. Alezandra works as a cook helper in Santiago, They have been living seprated from 3 months now. Santiago, Chile. July 2016.

© Cristóbal Olivares - Image from the DISTANCE LOVE photography project
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Felipe & Alba from Venezuela. 1 month working as a hostel welcomer in Punta Arenas, Chile. Felipe traveled to Chile searching for work because of the current crisis in Venezuela. Punta Arenas, October 2016

© Cristóbal Olivares - Image from the DISTANCE LOVE photography project
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Wilmar (23) & Carolina (21) from Colombia. They have been together for 6 years and 1 separeted. Wilmar traveled to Santiago to work in a barber shop. He is planning to return to Colombia to came back alongside with Carolina and live in Santiago de Chile. November, 2016

© Cristóbal Olivares - Image from the DISTANCE LOVE photography project
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Tomás & Gabriela his partner from Dominican Republic. I visited Tomás in July 2016 and he wants to show me a photograph of his daughter Franyeli and her partner Gabriela. They are a couple until nowadays. Santiago, Chile.July 2016.

© Cristóbal Olivares - Image from the DISTANCE LOVE photography project
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Laura(19) & Gerald (21) from Dominican Republic. They have been together from 7 years and separeted for 6 month when Laura traveled to Chile to work in barber shop. She wants to bring Gerald to Santiago soon. November 2016.

© Cristóbal Olivares - Image from the DISTANCE LOVE photography project
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Rosa & Juanito, his partner in Dominican Republic. "We are not married, we are a couple. We meet 14 years ago and been in distance from 1 and a half year now. We had a Child but he past away. Been separated has been horrible, we talk everyday but I want to go back to my country and see him. He also wants to come to Chile but only to visits because he works in the army". Rosa works a cooker in Santiago, Chile. November 2015.

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