Photographs moved Mari-Liis Lill to tears at exhibition

Estonian stage director Mari-Liis Lill said photographs at French photographer Jean-Louis Courtinat’s exhibition moved her to tears, ERR reported. Lill spoke about the experience on the programme Ringvaade after visiting the exhibition “This Touches Us All” at the Juhan Kuusi Documentary Photography Centre.

“I stood in front of one photo and then another, and the tears were flowing,” Lill said. She described the experience as cleansing and said she had not been so moved by an art exhibition in a long time.

The photographs show people in very difficult circumstances, Lill said, adding that Courtinat had approached them with “a big heart and empathy”. She said the exhibition’s title reflected the idea that people facing homelessness or illness are not separate from the rest of society. As a documentary-maker, she said, she believes such people should be welcomed and given space rather than hidden away.

Courtinat photographed in the children’s cancer ward of a French hospital. According to Lill, he spent several months with the people there before taking any pictures. He did not photograph moments between parents because they were too personal; the images show children and medical staff. Lill said the photographer began taking pictures only after he felt the people wanted to share those moments with him.

Lill said her own experience interviewing adults on the margins of society was that it was important to approach vulnerable people with an open heart and without fear. Captions alongside Courtinat’s photographs explain their background.