The eighth wonder of the world: Monette and Mady Malroux - Parisian twins of photographer Maja Daniels

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Monette and Mady Malroux - adorable twins who can be found on the streets of Paris. In their youth, they repeatedly performed in the theater, and also starred in films such as "Amelie" and "Paris, I love you." Later, Monette and Mady decided to use their advantage in everyday life: each appearance is a whole performance.

Monette and Mady always dress the same before going out, and during a conversation they finish each other's sentences. They attract the attention of passers-by with their manner of communication and the same gesture. Despite the fact that viewers perceive their actions as a pre-rehearsed show, the twins themselves reject this point of view.

Photographer Maja daniels in its series of works, it tells the audience the story of two elderly Parisian twins, showing some episodes of their daily life. Monette and Mady are two kindred spirits who do not want to part with each other even for a moment.

- How did you find these twins?

I often saw them on the streets on Sundays. They went to a vegetable market in Paris, which was in my area. At first glance, I was fascinated by their identical outfits and synchronization of movements. They were beautiful and unusual in their own way, and at first I only watched them from the sidelines. But when I finally dared to invite them to take part in my project, they happily agreed. Monette and Mady have long since stopped celebrating their birthdays. I think that my series of works opens up a new perspective on aging in modern society.

- Do viewers see posed poses in the photo?

No and no again. This is just a fraction of what they do in everyday life. There is always synchronicity in their movements, especially in the dances to which they devoted 8 years of their lives. They dance waltz, tango and modern jazz; finish each other's sentences; eat the same food; keep the same daily routine, and instead of "me" they always say "we".

- What do they do besides participating in your photo project?

Monette and Mady have starred in French films, danced in George Michael's music video, and also participated in art projects and commercials. They have worked with many renowned photographers and directors such as Nick Knight, Bettina Reims, Michael Thompson, Wee Spears and Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Collaboration was mainly associated with participation in commercial projects, which is why my documentary approach to the photo series interested them so much.

- Do you keep your distance from the heroes of your works?

I think it is very important to build relationships on trust. At first, Monette and Mady didn't quite understand why I was so interested in documenting their daily lives. Together, we have come a long way to get to know each other better. It took me a whole year for the twins to allow me to interact more closely with them.

On the site Kulturologiya. Ru we have already written about the twins from Iceland. The project by Japanese photographer Ariko Inaoka contains the opposite idea - this is a photo-story of the story of the growing up of girls Erna and Hrefna from 9 to 16 years old.