By Mohamed Khairat, Editor-in-Chief, EgyptianStreets.com While many have strayed away from Egypt since the 2011 revolution, Bieke Depoorter found herself spending nights at the homes of Egyptians and exploring their lives behind the walls. Despite knowing no Arabic, Bieke, 27, has successfully managed to spend the night at the homes of multiple families, earning their trust and photographing their lives and intimate moments. “I work with Ruth Vandewalle. We both travel together to try to find the trust of people and a place for the night,” explains Bieke who is a member of Magnum Photos. “We just ask people meet in the streets. If I am welcomed by the family into their homes, Ruth [who speaks Arabic] leaves and I spend the night by myself [with the family].” The ambitious project started following another project ‘Caïropolis.’ Bieke and three other Belgian photographers, Harry Gruyaert, Zaza Bertrand and Filip Claus, were asked by Jan Beke to show what Egypt has become in the shadow of the revolution. However, there was a twist: the photographs were not to portray Tahrir Square, violence and protests, but the city of Cairo and its people….
