09 March,2017 12:20 AM IST | | Joanna Lobo
Watch the lives of four American siblings come alive through the portraits taken by their father, to be displayed at Khotachiwadi
Paul loved taking photos. The mill worker from East Chicago took them all the time - clicking his four children playing, sleeping, wandering the streets, making friends with the neighbours or cuddling with their mother. But for over 50 years, these images remained hidden - the exposed ï¬u00c2u0081lm was wrapped, labelled and then bundled into a package and stored in a loft.
A portrait of his children.
Recently, Paul's family discovered this archive of over 1,200 rolls of ï¬u00c2u0081lm in the attic. In 2016, The Rescued Film Project, an organisation that helps people recover films, began developing and scanning this hidden collection. This month, as part of the FOCUS Photography Festival, you can catch an exhibition of these portraits, titled An Attic Full of Film. "This is the first time prints from Paul's archive are being made public.
The 190 photographs are mostly of his kids and showcase the different experiences associated with their childhood. The children aren'tdressed up or put on display but are captured as they go about their daily lives," says curator Alisha Sett.
James Ferreira's home in Khotachiwadi will be the venue for the exhibition
The exhibition will take place at the beautiful Ferreira house in Khotachiwadi, a space that is steeped in its own history. "My place is the perfect backdrop for the exhibition. It's better than a gallery because it is more intimate. What better way to showcase family portraits than in my family home that has its own history," says fashion designer James Ferreira.
People can also browse through three family albums that will be on display. Sett will be available at the house, from March 9 to 22, between 2 pm to 5 pm, to conduct archiving and writing sessions for those keen on documenting their family history.
