Tess Barthes / SOS MEDITERRANEE
Something is getting ready on deck. The logistician is moving back and forth, carrying tables, chairs, mirrors, bathrobes, hair clippers, scissors, and more. A few people begin to gather around him, curious to see what all the commotion is about. As more and more people arrive, their faces light up as they realize what’s happening: a hair salon is being set up in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea.
Every time we hold the barbershop activity on deck, it’s a huge success. No one wants to miss it, and soon there’s a long line forming. Some of the survivors are professional barbers, happily offering their skills to cut hair, beards, and mustaches for the others. Others prefer to cut their own hair. It’s always a great moment of togetherness, with everyone discussing what hairstyle would suit them best, just as you would in a regular hair salon. Of Course, none of them have seen a regular salon in a long time, so most of the work involves trimming hair that has grown too long over the months. The concentration and meticulousness with which they work is touching, as they take great pride in showing themselves in the best light. And, naturally, they want to look presentable for their arrival in Europe.
But the barbershop is more than just a chance to get a new haircut. I can’t speak for them, but I believe that for these people, whose bodies have been hurt, damaged, sometimes tortured, and always neglected, the ability to take care of themselves means more than just improving their physical appearance. Perhaps it is a way to start restoring their sense of self. It’s about recovering the integrity of their body, their free will, and their pride. It’s about reclaiming full ownership of their body.
I’m glad we can offer them this safe space where they can care for themselves as whole individuals.
This is why I like filming and photographing the barbershop activity: because this is everything I see in the mirrors when they cut and braid their hair, trim their beards and mustaches. They are no longer shipwrecked survivors, they are human beings, asserting their right to dignity.
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