Even though she is a French photographer, Julie Vola has a special connection with Vietnam, especially with its capital of Hanoi. After arriving in Hanoi in 2010, she started a project entitled "Recalling Hanoi". The project conveys her own perspective about the capital, through portraits and memories of people living here.
She says: “I started to build this project really quickly as I arrived in Hanoi, after 2 weeks. I started with my own stories and I took some photos on the streets on which my family had houses. Then I changed my mind and I started meeting people and taking photos of them and where their memories took place. It worked very well and it started to become ambitious. After a few weeks, I was like 'I think I’m going to stay in Hanoi".
Julie Vola’s connection with Vietnam began when her great grandfather went to Vietnam to build a rail line across the Long Bien Bridge at the beginning of the French colonial era in Vietnam.
After graduating from a renowned French school of photography, Julie began to live the life of a professional photographer, travelling between Vietnam and France for photo projects on people and landscapes. At the time of her first arrival in Vietnam, Julie just wanted to know about her own family’s history and the places where they lived. Then she started getting curious about other people’s memories within the city.
As for her plans for the future, Julie would like to publish a book or hold an exhibition for the project, hoping to continue her love of Hanoi for the next generation.
