"Fromeast’s collaborative community driven photo essay is a great example of story telling. Introducing photography to children from poor communities is certainly not a new idea but converting a local legend into a photo story is not something I’ve come across before. This collaboration has resulted in a photo essay that is both playful and profound. Elements of darkness sit comfortably with moments of innocence and hope. Above all, there is an exuberance of spirit and longing for something just out of reach that reflects in equal parts the local story and the participation of the local children in the construction of the story.

Making such a photo story that narrates itself with such visual assurance must not have been an easy process, especially for a foreigner. For this, Martushka and her collaborators should be given full credit for conceiving and executing this project and giving it such a compelling final shape. There are many such legends and stories that populate the landscape of the Indian subcontinent. It is therefore thrilling to imagine the immense opportunities such methods of storytelling can offer to photographers willing to bring such stories to life before they get crushed under the inevitable march towards modernity."

BY MARTUSHKA FROMEAST AND NYIMA TAMANG