SOULS OF FRANCE
Discover France through more than 100 encounters: a country shaped by extraordinary cultural diversity, strong identities and a distinctive art de vivre
DEEP CONNECTIONS
Omrane
Marseille, France
The Smile Everyone Remembered
I met Omrane early one morning at Marseille’s Old Port, just two weeks after I had started my street photography series.
Everything was still new to me then. I was only beginning to approach people, and I was doing it quietly, with a lot of hesitation. But meeting Omrane changed everything.
He welcomed me with a pure smile and a light in his face that is difficult to describe, yet somehow everyone could feel it. The video travelled around the world, but what people connected with was not just the image. It was him.
Omrane works in a bakery that makes organic, traditionally crafted bread in Marseille. He works with the same smile every day, gives without expecting anything in return, and is deeply loved by his customers.
That morning, he let me take his portrait and even gave me bread for free. A simple gesture, but one I never forgot.
His stand is always full, and his bread is always sold out. Not only because of what he makes, but because of the person he is.
We recently met again… a new chapter of Omrane’s story is coming soon.
He even offered me some of his freshly baked bread. It was delicious, and such a beautiful gesture !
Carla
Marseille, France
“I hope to live in a farm with animals”
That was Carla’s dream when I met her by chance in the streets of Marseille.
At first, she did not want to have her picture taken. She was shy and unsure of herself. But as we kept talking, little by little, she opened up and started to trust me.
What happened next was beautiful. Carla received a Tsunami of Love. Millions of people around the world saw her video and sent her love and support.
Her authenticity, bright energy and kindness touched people everywhere. At one point, she looked at me and said:
“You have a kind soul. I feel it.”
We visited her dream farm
This time, we met again in a beautiful farm filled with animals, the kind of place she had always dreamed of.
We spent the morning talking about life, dreams and the things that truly matter. We laughed, explored the farm and enjoyed a simple moment together.
What began as an unexpected encounter in the streets of Marseille became a real connection. Somehow, Carla and I made a great duo.
The full episode is now available on YouTube.
You feel the Energy ?
Every portrait began with one of my presets:
Hassan
Marseille, France
After the video reached people around the world, many of you asked me to start a fundraiser for Hassan.
When we spoke about it, he gave me an answer I will never forget. He told me that the people of Palestine need our help more than he does.
He wants to go to Mecca through his own work, with the money he earns and saves himself, through the sweat of his own brow.
He did not reject kindness. He simply chose to remain faithful to his values.
Hassan’s story is not only about a dream. It is about dignity, hard work, faith and the strength to stand by what you believe in.
“The people of Palestine need your help more than I do.“
I met Hassan while he was working as a street cleaner in Marseille.
He told me about his dream of going to Mecca. Behind his work, his tired hands and his quiet strength, I discovered a deeply sensitive man with strong values and an incredible determination.
He agreed to let me freeze a moment of his life through photography. To Hassan, a photograph is more than an image. It is a way of keeping a moment alive, even after time has moved on.
That first encounter stayed with me. Hassan reminded me that dignity can be found in hard work, sensitivity and the dreams we carry quietly.
Cheyenne
Marseille, France
“Don’t do a job that makes you unhappy, you never know how long you live”
I met Cheyenne by chance in the streets of Marseille. She is from Luxembourg, with Indonesian roots, and there was something about her energy that stayed with me.
She was beautiful and incredibly kind, but she did not see herself as photogenic. I took her portrait anyway, hoping she might see what I could see.
She loved the picture. Then the community found her, and a wave of love reached her from all over the world. Even her mother saw her daughter differently through that image.
That is what this journey is really about. Not just taking pictures, but helping people reconnect with the way they deserve to see themselves.
During our conversation, Cheyenne also told me:
“Don’t do a job that makes you unhappy. You never know how long you live.”
Her words stayed with me. They made me question the life I was living and the dream I kept putting aside.
Some time later, Cheyenne and I met again above Marseille, at Notre-Dame de la Garde.
We watched the sunset, talked about our dreams, social media, happiness and the confidence she found after receiving so much love from the community.
Then I told her that I had left my job to fully pursue my dream of becoming a storyteller and photographer.
We laughed, talked about life and enjoyed a beautiful moment together.
What started as a chance encounter in the streets of Marseille became a real connection. Her energy reached the world, and her words stayed with me as I took one of the biggest steps of my life.
The full video is now available on YouTube :
Youssouf
Paris, France
Youssouf is a street cleaner in Paris, carrying one of the purest dreams I have ever heard.
One day, he wants to go to Mecca. Not for comfort or recognition, but to fulfil something deeply personal and spiritual.
Our short conversation stayed with me. He spoke with such sincerity that I could not help but hope this video would bring him closer to that dream.
After the video travelled around the world, people came together with one idea: to raise €12k and help make his journey to Mecca possible.
For Youssouf, it would mean more than financial support. It would mean seeing his life change in a single moment, thanks to the kindness of people he had never met.
He is grateful beyond words for this opportunity and for everyone who chose to stand behind him.
But this story is also about the work he does every day. Street cleaners take care of the places we all share, often without receiving the recognition they deserve.
Youssouf’s story reminds us to look closer at the people who keep our cities moving, and to never underestimate the power of a simple encounter.
GALLERY
