Where the West Ends

Nestled in the rainy forests of Washington state in the western most part of America, the small town of Forks embodies resilience and adaptation in the face of environmental and economic upheaval.

In "Where the West Ends" I examines the outermost edge of the American experiment through the lens of Forks, Washington—a community that represents the literal conclusion of westward expansion. Where the continent meets the Pacific, this former logging town stands as both geographical endpoint and symbolic embodiment of frontier mythology.

Shot entirely on film, this documentary series offers a distinctly European perspective on American individualism—observing from a cultural distance while capturing intimate moments of a community that embodies the contradictions of American identity. In Forks, we find people who deliberately choose to remain at the nation's edge, embracing isolation as a core value rather than a limitation.

Through these photographs, we see how frontier individualism persists as a conscious choice rather than a geographical necessity. The people of Forks could relocate to more connected urban centers, yet they deliberately maintain their position at America's edge—embracing isolation as part of their identity. In 2025, remaining in this remote outpost represents not a lack of options but an affirmative commitment to a particular vision of American life: one that values self-reliance, distance from centralized authority, and direct connection to the natural environment.

As Europeans viewing America in 2025, we witness a nation grappling with its foundational myths. The frontier—that ever-moving boundary—has long vanished geographically but persists psychologically. Forks embodies this tension: a place where resource extraction has reached its natural limits, where Indigenous histories challenge colonial narratives, and where residents navigate between tradition and reinvention.