Faces for dignity

“Faces for Dignity” is a visual story about the young people who took to the streets in Chile to protest against the neoliberal system and demanding dignity.

“Faces for Dignity” is a visual report of those who participated actively in the 2019 Chilean uprising and civil protests. Millions of people took to the streets, mobilized to begin with by the rise of the subway fair, but shortly afterwards by articulated demands that considered an overall better quality of life. People were demanding dignity. All this in the country with the highest GDP income per capita in Latin America, but nonetheless one of the highest inequality gaps.

This visual record, that mixes documentary photographs with an editorial twist, seeks to reveal the identity and aesthetics of the protesters, each with their own personality, revealed through the clothes and garments: hoods, protective eye glasses (to date, the police forces have caused over 400 eye injuries), masks, and shields to protect themselves from pellets and bullets.

The portraits, carried out with a medium-format camera, were taken in Plaza de la Dignidad (name with which the plaza was renamed after the protests started), to date the iconic public space used for social instances and known for dividing the city of Santiago in its uptown and downtown areas. The photos were also an open invitation for protesters to take a minute, pause and deliberately pose in the epicenter of the protests. Giving time to establish a connection between the photographer and the photographed.

The protests have temporarily ceased due to the global pandemic, but the current health crisis has reinforced and makes the previous social demands more visible, now more than ever. There is no doubt that people will return to the streets with greater momentum and force.