“The Thistles of Baragan” documents the people and the land of the Baragan Steppe Plain. Situated in the south east of Romania, the Baragan area is famous for its harsh climate with summer droughts and winter blizzards. Due to its climate and the topography of the region, the living conditions in Baragan are very harsh with many villages lacking basic human necessities like running water. This forces many adults to leave the area in search of better opportunities leaving the villages to the old and the very young. Some 21 years after the fall of communism and over 3 years after Romania joined the European Union, the Baragan region still appears to have been left behind.

Up until the second half of the 19th century Carpathian shepherds used Baragan as pastureland with just a few villages spread sporadically throughout the area. Due to its harsh living condition, Baragan was used by the communist regime for mass deportations.

In spite of the hardship, the people I met seemed resilient and genuinely happy. They seem to be in harmony with the nature and the land that surrounds and supports them.