Meeting Sofie

Snezhana von Büdingen, Germany

In my series ‘Meeting Sofie’ I depict the life of a 19-year-old girl with Down syndrome born into a German emigrant family in Denmark. At age 7, Sofie returned to Germany with her family and lives with them on a small farm in eastern Germany. She grew up in the care of a successful antiques dealer. Since completing school, Sofie has spent most of her life on the farm. She enjoys being alone as well as with the farm animals and with the few people with whom she can build close relationships: her family and her boyfriend Andy. The series gives the viewer a glimpse into Sofie’s life, shows moments of sincerity and pleasure in a life that we imagine to be complicated.

Discover more: Shortlist 2018