Francesca Leonardi

‘O Post Mio – My place

book
‘O Post Mio is an eight-year photographic work in which I followed the life of Claudia. A woman who, together with her two daughters, occupied an apartment in the Coppola Village for many years. In the 1960s, when the Coppola Village was built, destroying a rich pinewood forest, it was the largest illegal urban agglomeration in Europe. Claudia's life resembles the fate of this pine forest. On her body have been poured flows of violence and marginalization that have transfigured her life. Trough her life I tried to recount how a territory can determine a person’s life. Images of external and internal landscapes are alternated to show the continuity of the unathorized building that enters the life of a family, how these signs affected their choices.

‘O Post Mio is an eight-year photographic work in which I followed the life of Claudia. A woman who, together with her two daughters, occupied an apartment in the Coppola Village for many years. In the 1960s, when the Coppola Village was built, destroying a rich pinewood forest, it was the largest illegal urban agglomeration in Europe. Claudia’s life resembles the fate of this pine forest. On her body have been poured flows of violence and marginalization that have transfigured her life.
Trough her life I tried to recount how a territory can determine a person’s life. Images of external and internal landscapes are alternated to show the continuity of the unathorized building that enters the life of a family, how these signs affected their choices. The project became an audio-documentary in 2019 that aired on the public Italian radio, Radio Rai 3 and was published as a book in 2020 edited by Postcart.
The book, divided into two parts has on one side the photographic part with the images of these 8 years, interspersed with scans of images from Claudia’s past. On the other side a booklet containing Claudia’s story told through my experience and words. In this way I tried to blend past and present together, trying to bring out how Claudia’s present, apparently so daring and casual, is tightly conditioned by her childhood, the abandonment by her parents, the incessant search for a family balance she never had.

Claudia looks out at the Villaggio skyline from her new apartment in the high residence.Claudia si affaccia dal balcone del suo nuovo appartamento nell'alto residence, verso lo skyline del Villaggio.
An areal view of the Saraceno Park, the buildings compound belonging to the Coppola Village where Claudia and her daughters occupied an apartment for many years.. Half of the buildings in the Saraceno Park are uninhabited. Half are illegally occupied by people living under the poverty line.Una veduta aerea del Parco del Saraceno, il complesso abitativo del Villaggio Coppola dove Claudia e le sue figlie hanno occupato per molti anni un appartamento. La metà degli edifici del Parco del Saraceno sono disabitati. La metà è occupata illegalmente da persone che vivono sotto la soglia di povertà.
Claudia is seen sleeping on the sofa with her daughters Alessandra and Federica after the night shift she had at the pub where she's working as a waitress.Claudia riposa sul divano con le sue due figlie Alessandra e Federica dopo il turno notturno al bar dove lavora servendo ai tavoli.
Claudia is showing some second hand baby clothing she received as gifts for the families of the Saraceno Park.Claudia mostra alcuni indumenti per neonato di seconda mano ricevuti in dono per le famiglie del Parco del Saraceno.
Alessandra and Federica are on their house terrace cleaning the rabbit's cage.
Claudia plays with a water pipe from the balcony of a friend's apartment in Parco Saraceno.Claudia gioca con un tubo d'acqua dal balcone dell' appartamento di un'amica al Parco Saraceno.
Federica, Claudia's youngest daughter is seen jumping in a prefabricated swimming pool, owned by another abusive habitant of the Saraceno park,presently at house arrest for robbery.
Alessandra is holding a cigarette that Tammaro, one os her mother's friends just rolled up.
Federica and Alessandra listen to neo-melodic neapoletan music.
Giugno 2012. Villaggio Coppola, Castel Volturno.Federica,la figlia minore di Claudia, piange dopo essere stata rimproverata dalla madre.
Alessandra, Claudia’s oldest daughter walks between the Saraceno park's buildings. The Saraceno Park is a building compound belonging to the Coppola Village, once inhabited by the American NATO employees, where Claudia and her daughters have lived for many years, occupying an apartment. Half of the buildings in the Saraceno Park are illegally occupied by families living under the poverty line, the other half are uninhabited.Alessandra, la figlia maggiore di Claudia, passeggia tra gli edifici del Parco Saraceno. Il Parco Saraceno è un complesso edilizio appartenente al Villaggio Coppola, un tempo abitato dagli americani al servizio per la NATO, dove hanno vissuto Claudia e le sue figlie per molti anni occupando un appartamento. La metà degli edifici nel Parco del Saraceno sono occupati illegalmente da famiglie che vivono sotto la soglia di povertà, l'altra metà sono disabitate.
Villaggio Coppola, Castel Volturno. Federica, Claudia's daughter is seen taking care of her red fish. " ‘O post mio ’ is an eight-year photographic work in which I followed the life of Claudia. A woman who, together with her two daughters, Alessandra and Federica, occupied a house in the Coppola Village, near Naples. In the 1960s, when the Coppola Village was built, destroying a rich pinewood forest, it was the largest illegal urban agglomeration in Europe. Claudia's life resembles the fate of this pine forest. On her body have been poured flows of violence and marginalization that have transfigured her life.
Claudia is reconciling with her oldest daughter Alessandra. Claudia and Alessandra have a difficult relationship. Alessandra cannot respond to her scolding without been violently reproved by her mother.
Claudia is extremely tired and nervous after few weeks from her baby's birth. She knows things between her and Emiliano cannot continue to be like that.
Federica suffers from an allergic form of asthma that is linked to the pollution of the area. Castel Volturno is one of the most polluted cities in Italy, a place where criminal clans have illegally buried large quantities of toxic wastes.
Claudia lost her son. On the 7th of October 2014 on the verge of one of their umpteenth fight Emiliano left with their three months son, hiding him for days from her. She immediately claimed custody of him. In this picture the hallway of the residence building in the Coppola village where she decided to move with a regular rent contract In order to have the best chances to win custody of her son but worsening her economic instability.
Federica tastes some Christmas sweets. Although Claudia fights everyday to bring food to the table, Christmas' eve is an important day to somebody that as a young girl never spent it with her own family, so she makes extra efforts to make it sumptuous.
An overview of some tall buildings of the Coppola village. The coppola Village was illegally built by the Coppola brothers in the late '60s. Vincenzo and Cristoforo Coppola buried with tons of cement a luxuriant pinewood.Una panoramica di alcuni palazzoni del Villaggio Coppola. Il Villaggio Coppola è stato costruito illegalmente dai fratelli Coppola alla fine degli anni '60. Vincenzo e Cristoforo Coppola hanno seppellito con tonnellate di cemento una rigogliosa pineta.
Claudia and her partner during a violent quarrel, a few weeks after the birth of their first child and Claudia's third child.Claudia e il suo compagno durante una lite violenta, dopo qualche settimana dalla nascita del loro primo figlio e terzo figlio di Claudia.
What remains of the pinewood forest right outside the Coppola village.
Claudia is in the hospital, after a violent fight with Emilano she had a miscarriage and lost the baby she was carring.
Claudia is eight month pregnant from Emiliano and feels very nervous about having a child from him. Their relationship is violent and unstable.
Emiliano, Claudio was born on the 27th of July, 2014.
Claudia and E. play in Claudia's new apartment. After more than a year of legal battles, following the abduction of little E. by the child's father, Claudia has been granted the opportunity to see her son, now 21 months old, once a week and spend the night with him once every two weeks.Claudia e E. giocano nel nuovo appartamento di Claudia. Dopo più di un anno di battaglie legali, a seguito della sottrazione del piccolo E. da parte del padre del bambino, Claudia ha ricevuto la possibilità di vedere suo figlio, di ormai 21 mesi, una volta la settimana e passare la notte con lui una volta ogni due settimane.
Federica is playing with her brother Emiliano Claudio in their new apartment.
opm-cover

Claudia’s memories

Santino trovato nella Bibbia di Claudia