THIS IS US – Berlin, by Maria di Stefano

After presenting the first chapter of THIS IS US, dedicated to Rome, here in our bookshop, we are delighted to welcome Maria Di Stefano back with a new publication, this time dedicated to Berlin.

THIS IS US is an expansive photographic project developed over five years across three cities – Rome, Paris, and Berlin – featuring portraits of 62 young people. Rooted in a socio-anthropological approach, THIS IS US explores how the same migratory condition is shaped differently depending on context – socially, culturally, psychologically, and in terms of urban development. Through intimate portraits and glimpses into daily environments, the project examines how a place influences identity and belonging.
By giving faces to what are often presented as anonymous statistics, the project challenges stereo- typical, reductive, and folklorized representations of “the foreigner.” Instead, it creates space for young people to share their stories and be seen in their full complexity.