Sweet or Bitter ?

A photographic return to my family home in Bi’ina, Upper Galilee. Through repeated portraits and recorded conversations, the work traces intimacy, time, and the fragile moment when familiarity shifts into exposure before the camera.

Sweet or Bitter

How do you take your coffee?

I return to my family's home in my village, Bi'ina, in the Upper Galilee every two weeks. During the three days I stay there, I photograph the people closest to my heart and the details of

their daily lives. Although the presence of a camera can make some people uncomfortable, I chose photography because it is the medium closest to me. To break the ice, I engage them in various topics and record the conversations as part of the documentation process. There are seventeen people mentioned in the book, and I have taken thirty-six portraits of each of them, which amounts to a complete roll of film. All the conversations were recorded with the intention of later transforming them into visual images and settings that reflect the stories and discussions captured.

The Photography process varied from one to another. All the people I photographed are ones

I know well, so I could see their change and discomfort as soon as the camera was placed in front of them. After a certain period of shooting, some grew comfortable, while others impulsively asked, "What do you want?" For instance, my mother wanted to quickly return to her work, and my father, with whom the experience was very brief—one new picture every minute—started goofing around, laughing, smiling, and joking with me.