Inspired by the Tales of the Jazz Age, I discovered a flyer while strolling on the streets of Hamburg one afternoon of nostalgia – Bohème Sauvage, society for sophisticated entertainment.

Feathered hats swinging from left to right to the sound of the Roaring Twenties, a sip of sparkling wine as the pianist fills the room with a fine Jazz, the idea of a night shrouded in a fog of mystery and sweet temptation… it was a night I had to live for myself.

The first Bohème I visited left me wondering where I took the turn that led me through a time-traveling portal straight to a celebration in the company of Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald. The sweet smell of perfume in the air, the heavy red velvet drapes behind Burlesque dancers flapping their eyelashes, the desire to let our sassy minds loose for a night, it all made me forget which age I was born in. Absinth pours in the glasses until the early dawn, the dealers shuffle the cards for those wishing to play their luck, the laughter and excitement of a night of uninterrupted swing dancing fills the room. The sunrise heralds the end of this golden night and before the sun stands high in the sky, the bacchanal ends and we are back in the present – quite tired.

The photo essay has been shot (for now) in Berlin, Frankfurt and Hamburg and is an ongoing project. If I could pique your interest or you want to tell me about the next #cannotmiss event, feel free to contact me.

The story Bohème is exclusively shot on 6x7 roll-film.