Somehow European

Young people in Moldova grow up in a country balancing between its Soviet past and a possible European future. As EU membership remains contested, they navigate division, hope, and uncertainty while shaping their own sense of identity and belonging.

The project follows young people in the Republic of Moldova on their country's path toward the European Union. Moldova has been an EU candidate since 2022, but the idea of "Europe" remains contested in a nation that only gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. A 2024 referendum on EU membership passed by just over 50 percent, revealing a deep split across generations and society.

Somehow European explores what it means to grow up in this transitional moment. Through portraits, everyday scenes, and political engagement, the work documents a generation negotiating identity, hope, and belonging while questioning the choices of both the past and present.

This project traces the emotional and visual space in which "Europe" becomes both a promise and a question, capturing the tensions, aspirations, and reflections of young Moldovans as they navigate a future that is still being defined.