In this piece is the story of a Brazilian male sex worker active in a small region situated in the southern part of Switzerland. We are talking about a small valley completely surrounded by the Italian border. Numerous foreign women and men come here to find a quick and easy way to earn money, get wealthy and go back to their hometowns. The illusion of a shiny and sweet life fades mostly in a couple of weeks, and often comes with dramatic consequences. The price to achieve the coveted reward, often depicted with big houses and private beaches, forces them to face many difficulties and compromises they could never have imagined before their arrival in Switzerland. Their busy sex routine distracts them from their predefined aims, leading them, here to despair, and there to suffering. The gravitating expenses and costs to assure their survival are extremely high, in combination with the lack of a regular work permit, leading to terrific stress and fear of potential police raids.
A story about a man living in darkness and without dignity.
Born in Wroclaw in 1978, I moved with my family to Switzerland at the age of 12. Once obtained the commercial maturity in Chiasso and mostly in Zurich, I started travelling with the purpose to find "something to do". In that 6 year wandering period I have worked in several countries placed in North Africa, South East Asia and Europe, progressively focusing on photography as a possible profession. After a 2 year experimental period I decided to attend a National Geographic workshop where he positively impressed its photographers.
A year work experience for a Italian fashion magazine, pushed me towards journalistic photography.
