"Tunisia on Film" by Kayley Ronnkvist
Tunis has a fairly large art scene with lots to explore, whether that be spoken word poetry events, gallery openings, ceramics, copper carving, music, or photography. While I am not always the best at taking pictures of my own, I have been fortunate enough to learn about film photography firsthand throughout this semester from the Tunisian photographer Aren Dou, who has documented small moments of my life. All of the following photos by Aren Dou were shot on Contax T2/ Ilford Pan 400, expired, as non-expired film is expensive and difficult to find in Tunisia. Once completed, rolls are taken to a small photography shop in centre-ville where they are developed. Experiencing the process first-hand has not only given me insight into and appreciation for the work and time entailed, but also has allowed me to experience the joy of reliving forgotten moments once the film is developed. Whereas digital photography allows you to take several versions of a picture and sift through the captures, shooting in film requires you to slow down and pay attention to simple moments and movements happening around you in order to capture the desired image, resulting in particular attention paid to the composition and emotion in each single intentional image.
Moment captured of me with two friends while spending an afternoon in the souk. Photo credit: Dou, 2022.
The photo credit for the cover photo of this blog is also Dou, 2022.
