Passion Despair

Directed by Steff Gruber

The Swiss photographer Daniel Leuenberger lives on the edge of society, working in Moldova with girls between 9 and 14 years old. He has caused much controversy with the photos of his models which he sells via the internet. The film raises questions of how images are used and their effects in a world increasingly dominated by the media. However, it also shows girls' lives in Moldova's neighbour Transnistria, which does not officially exist. Modelling is not just an important additional source of income for the girls, but more importantly provides a change from the dullness of everyday life.