Rough and Unpolished: A Sincere Manifesto of Paris

Beyond the romantic, grandiose and polished surface of Paris, there’s another reality, a perpetual shadow that unveils the daily routines and struggles of the so-called “normal’’ people - the ones I met - which did not shop from les Champs-Élysées boutiques nor hanged around the Eiffel tower. This image, taken just in front of the entrance of my university door, shows the rough, beautiful and truly inspiring atmosphere I found there that made me realise that beyond the plastic reality and chic desires of the tourist, there’s a meaningful and deeply moving core that makes up the true identity of the Parisian realm.