La Casa de la buena vida

“La Casa de la buena vida” is a name of a social project developed by his founder “Chule” and its main characteristic is being “self-managed”.
Spain, Andalucía (The southern region of the country), Málaga (the capital of one of its provinces) have been strongly affected during the last years by the economic and social crisis.
But, in this context, what does crisis mean to the “Casa de la buena vida”? A tragic outcome which sums up in two aspects: the cut-off of most of the financial subventions and the arrival of an increased number of new faces with new stories of being affected by social exclusion.
“La Casa de la buena vida” is a place, located in a marginalized neighbourhood called “La Palma-Palmilla”. You must walk up the hills located on the limits of the area, through a rustic path, in order to access the property.
Those who once were “the rejected of the society “ because of an addiction, a problem with the judicial system, unable to gain sufficient economic means as a result of the crisis… are about to find a roof, to share daily meals, to rest in a bed and to regain a hygiene. Moreover, they encounter persons to talk to and share similar extreme experiences in life.
They can stay as long as they want, as long as they can, to motivate themselves to try to recover their self-esteem and eventually come back to more human way of life. Unfortunately, some give up, leave the place and return to their powerless position outside society.
“La Casa de la buena vida” is also the name of the photographic project. During half of a year, I intended first to put a name on each face and then to learn the story behind each name. Eventually, I gained their trust. They allowed me and my camera to enter their daily intimacy.
This project is about a unique place and its people, who find comfort and shelter when they have nothing else left.