RITES OF PASSAGE (Poland, 2007)
A rite of passage marks a change, the beginning of a new chapter in life. The person who undergoes the rite receives a new identity; the ritual often remains the same for centuries. Przemysław Pokrycki photographed contemporary Roman Catholic rituals in Poland. He identified himself as a guest and a photographer, so the role he played was clear for everyone. There was a lot of posing, and the families themselves determined what they wanted seen in the photographs, and what not. Ninety percent of Poles are Catholic. The population therefore attaches considerable importance to rituals such as baptism, making first communion, marriages and funerals. Sometimes, says Pokrycki, it appears that they are a substitute for the now vanished socialist rituals.
