Nightplaces I Took On Film:
I lived in Berlin in 2002. I moved there in early January. I wasn’t starting school until February. If you’re thinking about moving to Berlin alone, you should be advised that people don’t really hang out there in the winter… I didn’t meet anyone during my first 3-4 weeks. By default, I wandered around the city alone taking photos of empty bits. And because it was freezing, I was underground in trains more often than not. I don’t know if it’s still this way, but back then the u-bahn ran on an honor system (or at least that’s what I told myself) It wasn’t like NYC, you didn’t have to pay to enter. To me, that meant free.
Underground was the only place I would see people… I remember two recurring characters specifically.
One was a tall and thin man who never sat down, he paced while his fingers played an invisible piano. He would scream names. Women’s names. Randomly, and loudly. It didn’t matter how close he was standing to your ear.
Then there was a woman. She was always crying. Sobbing hysterically. She was always sitting somewhere. Her swollen face in her hands.
I was lonely. I was broke. I didn’t want to grow up yet.
I made up a story for these two. That they were long lost lovers roaming the tunnels forever missing one another.
… And that made me feel better.
