Life at Brazilian Backlands

Brazilian backlands: an extremely arid region that struggles against poverty and drought, but certainly one of the richest regions in terms of cultural significance. Its inhabitants are strong, resilient and warm-hearted.

I spent three weeks walking across the dry lands at the northwest of Minas Gerais, searching for the right moment to photograph and the right person to talk to. It were 150km from the first village – Sagarana – to the last stop of my journey: Grande Sertão Veredas National Park. Although I was with my camping tent, since there are no inns in those places – I have to admit I only used it once. All the other days, people who have never seen me before offer a place at their homes for me to stay.