The Religion
Photograph/Jessica Hilltout
Jessica Hilltout discovers that in Africa, where not even the basics are taken for granted, football is precious.
This article was originally published in September 2012.
Jessica Hilltout
This project, titled Amen, began in 2008 and pays homage to Africa. I love Africa and it loves football. While I made the photos and did the travelling, Africa brought this concept to life. I was interested in showing football as it is played by millions… far from the big stadiums, the money and corporate sponsors—the World Cups played everyday by friends and communities all over the continent.
I followed my gut and felt my way through villages in search of all those details. People let me in and proudly showed me their shoes, the footballs, their jerseys. And hence, I divided Amen into Goals, Balls, Players, Boots and Footie Fever.
Showcased here are portraits of the players for whom life without football is unimaginable. Football is played everyday around 4pm in towns and tiny villages alike. And so, I wanted this series to be a positive portrayal of Africa despite its daily struggles. Amen speaks of dignity, pride, endurance, solidarity and ingenuity.
To view the rest of Amen and to look at Jessica’s work, visit www.jessicahilltout.com
While Documenting a Passion
- For projects like this, it is best to use your senses as everything takes place on location. Looking, listening, talking and feeling are key.
- Talk to people before you make pictures of them, include them in your plans and explain your intentions. What you project as a person is exactly what you get back.
- Start a trip with a blank book and return with something marked with fingerprints, dust and stories. Not only can a logbook end up being a map of your trip, it can also help you see the progression of your ideas and encourage you.
-
- Ramata, Dori, Burkina Faso: The people I worked with were essential to this project. Once I gained their trust, they gave me more than I could have ever dreamt possible. Photograph/Jessica Hilltout
-
- Orlando, Chicome, Mozambique: The sport is the one activity that costs nothing. Balls are made by hand and wood serves for goalposts. Photograph/Jessica Hilltout
-
- Unknown, outside Pipeline FC, Nhambonda, Mozambique: Making the ball is no simple task. It is a symbol of the inventiveness of poor people everywhere. Photograph/Jessica Hilltout
-
- Essian, Anokye Stars FC, Kumasi, Ghana: Africa is a world like no other—unstructured, disorganised and carefree. Behind this, lies a passion and reason to rejoice. Photograph/Jessica Hilltout
-
- Unknown, Nhambonda, Mozambique: I have tried to bring to life funny, poignant and poetic stories that reflect the imagination and energy of the African soil. Photograph/Jessica Hilltout
-
- Kodio, Ivory Coast: For the people of Africa, football is precious. And like everything truly precious, it is a neccesity—like bread and water. Photograph/Jessica Hilltout
About Jessica Hilltout
She is a Belgian photographer who dabbled in advertising, but eventually bought an old jeep and left the country with a friend. According to her, that impromptu trip was the start of the way she sees things today.
