An ongoing one-year feature story from May 2020 until May 2021
photography by matthieu alexandre
text by marjolaine edouard
(France, 2020) From spring confinement to the autumn harvest season : this feature story documents four organic viticulture estates of the famous “Coteaux-du-Layon” in the Val-de-Loire, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Four unique stories in the context threatening an unprecedented health, economic and social crisis.
"During the spring lockdown, we heard on the radio the call of farmers in need of labor."
"We volunteered and got hired as wine workers. That was the start of the reportage."
This photo essay intends to document this particular year 2020 following the rhythm of the vine's cycle between two confinements. It also aims at highlighting the vine growing ancestral gestures since humans have always cultivated the vine.
Isn't there something reassuring in the fact that the Earth continues to provide food and drink, that is, grapes and wine, as our economy falters and is almost at a standstill ?
The recent Covid crisis has raised awareness of our limits, of the limits of our economic and production system, and of the need to initiate a decrease, a greener consumption, more respectful of nature. Through organic viticulture, these women and men have already taken the lead and show us the path.
This story invites us to reflect on the place of humans in nature and perhaps to walk in the footsteps of these men and women who cultivate their land with love.
The complete feature story includes 200 photos and a text "During the lockdown we volunteered and got hired as wine workers" (20,000 characters, French only at the moment).
This photo essay has not yet been published and we are looking for a media that would like to distribute or publish it.
All photographs copyrighted © matthieu alexandre / inTERREviews.fr
texts © marjolaine edouard / inTERREviews.fr