Photographer Carine Zanella is the Edge of Humanity Magazine contributor of this documentary photography. From the project ‘The Genzianella Bar’. To see Carine’s body of work, click on any photograph.

At an altitude of 1,235 metres, in the middle of the mountains, in Italy, there are men and women who, like everywhere else in the world, need to get together, to talk about the world, about life, about their lives…

They need to dream, laugh, chat, listen and meet

Over a coffee, a glass of wine, a beer…

From 7 a.m., Monday to Sunday, before leaving for work, at lunch or dinner, at the end of the service, they are there.

Elio, Aofelia, Oscar, Egidio, Margherita, Paolo, Valentina, Elisabetta, Angelo, Daniele…

All of them are there.

Not always at the same time, but they know they are together.

Somewhere, in this little bar.

For ten minutes, an hour…or more!

They find their games, their good words, their strong opinions and their history of love and friendship.

Under the benevolent eyes of three generations, glasses are emptied and coffees are drunk.

Sorrows and joys are exchanged and shared.

Joys and sorrows unite and bind them.

In this little mountain bar, somewhere in Italy…

Like everywhere in the world.

Wherever there are people, wherever there is life…

Text by Jean-Claude Raskin

Carine Zanella (January 1962), Seraing, Belgium

My passion for photography dates back to my teenage years, when a high school teacher introduced me to shooting techniques and black-and-white film development.

Since 2019, I have been attending classes with Frédéric Materne at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Liège.

The photographs were taken at Bar Genzianella in the village of Regnana (Bedollo) in Trentino, Italy

All images © Carine Zanella

Text © Jean-Claude Raskin