The Nowhere and its People
- a journey through some forgotten villages -
There are people living in the middle of nowhere. Sometimes with horses, sometimes with sheeps. Here teachers sit in empty rooms in front of just three children, policemen look for animals on miles large grounds on foot, horses graze amidst the streets.
Life passes by, slowly, silently, almost without even happening. The landscape is bleak and the villages are scattered in the steppe. Only a few villages have over hundred inhabitants, work is scarce and some schools are closing. Beside the emptiness of this enormous savannah that spreads around the Highway 23, in the region of Rio Negro, Argentina, you can also find small villages of sheep breeders. Years ago the wool of these villages was even exported abroad. Now not only the animals are disappearing, but also the people. These people are not lost, they are simply forgotten. They are left here, in the middle of nowhere, to watch the time pass like a rolling bush, to try calming the silence, but the forgetfulness makes more noise.
In the summer, traditional events are organized in each village. It is a good opportunity for the residents to connect with their roots. But it is not enough. For lack of work and adequate investment, families are forced to move into larger cities and the villages begin to disappear with their culture. There are people living in the middle of nowhere. Sometimes with horses, sometimes with sheeps. But mostly alone.
The Nowhere in Argentina from Carlos Bafile on Vimeo.