Mirella is the story of a woman, a mother, a wife, a grandmother.
Mirella is 71 years old, she spent 43 years of her life with the only person loved.
43 years of sharing, difficulties, laughs and beautiful moments: a family, a house, values handed down.
In the last 6 years something changed, Mirella had to fight against her husband’s illness, the Alzheimer.
She devoted her life to him.
She became his caregiver looking forward with devotion, strength and love… as long as there is life there is hope…even if memories are slowly wasted day by day relentlessly.
What could it be more dolorous than not to be recognized anymore by the person loved, the life partner?
Mirella is the love story of a woman for her husband, a woman suddenly forced to face on her own the biggest difficulty experienced, made by hopes and unbelief, pain and resignation, sorrow and powerlessness.
Mirella spent her life next her husband, she never abandoned him; not an hospital, not external assistance until his last day, he died with immense pain in his house between his loved ones.
He died in the same house where they spent together their whole life.
Born in Rome, Fausto Podavini lives and works in his hometown. After graduating in electronics, he obtained a Master of reportage photography at the John Kaverdash Academy in Milan.
He first started his photographic journey as an assistant and studio photographer to get always closer to photo reportage.
Leaving the studio photography to devote himself exclusively to reportage, he took up a carreer as a freelance and made reportages, through working with various NGOs in Italy, Peru, Kenya.
In 2009 he started a collaboration with the Collective Photo WSP, permanently joined in 2010. There, in addition to his photographer role aimed to the realization of common projects, he also worked as a professor of photojournalism.
In addition to various reports made in Africa, South America and India,he carried out important works on Italian social realities such as a report on sport for disabled people, another in a juvenile detention center, and a project on Alzheimer's for which he won the first prize of the World Press Photo 2013 in Daily Life section.
He is currently pursuing several photographic projects both in Ethiopia and in Kashmir.
He has been member of MIFAV University of Tor Vergata in Rome and of La Presse photo agency.
He has published in both Italian and foreign magazines and over the years received numerous awards of international fame such as the World Press Photo, PDN Photo Annual, World.Report Awards, Kolga, Vilnius Circle Of Life, Winephoto, Sony Awards and exhibited in numerous cities such as Rome, Milan, Perugia, Paris, Barcelona, Tbilisi, Kuala Lumpur, Yangon, Brooklyn, Buenos Aires.
