Andrea Star Reese started working on "The Urban Cave" in 2007 when she joined the Internation Center of Photography in New York. The series - her first since dropping her career in filmmaking, documents men and women living in makeshift dwellings around New York. "It is a story about the resilience and humanity of people who live 'on the other side' of conventional society," say Visa Pour l'Image's organisers, who selected "The Urban Cave" for one of the two dozens exhibitions on show in Perpignan.

She answers Olivier Laurent's questions.

BJP: You were pretty much unknown before you shot “The Urban Cave”. What were you doing before?
Andrea Star Reese: Nobody knew about me, yes. That’s because I’ve worked with video for many years, primarily with dance. I made films that were used in concert and dance pieces. Then as 9/11 happened, I shot it on video and it was used by a lot of TV and filmmakers – I shot that day and for many weeks after that – and I realised that I wanted to do more journalism and documentary work, so I dropped everything and I went to Indonesia in 2003 right after the Bali bombings, and started making a series of short pieces and feature-length documentaries covering the issues coming up in the run-up to the elections there. But, I haven’t been able to get it used by anyone because nobody’s interested in Indonesia. During that time I injured my shoulder and I had to hand my video camera to somebody else, but I wanted to keep shooting and started shooting stills and it was immediate: I never wanted to go back to a video camera. Once again I dropped everything and I entered the International Center of Photography in New York.

BJP: That’s when you started working on “The Urban Cave”…
Andrea Star Reese: Yes, I started it when I was a student. In Indonesia, I had been shooting near the tracks. One of my favourite things was to go and find people living in places like that. I went many times and they knew me. So it was a bit of a continuation of that. But coincidentally, one of the first assignments I received at ICP was “New York Underground.” I took it literally, of course, and went to sewers and in train tunnels, where I met Chuck and Lisa, who formed a huge part of this project.

BJP: How did you gain their trust?
Andrea Star Reese: I’m just there, I’m in their lives and more and more as time goes on and a crisis comes up or if they’re arrested, then I appear in court or if they’re in the hospital, I come and stay for hours. You go deeper every time something like that happens. The relationship deepens. I think, at first, the people cooperate with me… well actually, the people collaborate with me because they want their stories to be told. It’s their projects as much as it’s mine, they want to make a book. Everyone I photographed got very excited about the idea of making a book. I’ve told them that if they write the story, they will do even better. They’re quit interested and that helps. Also, one of them told me one time that people have shown before to take pictures, but they want to take a good picture. While I’m very interested in their lives, and that makes a difference.

BJP: Will you continue this work?
Andrea Star Reese: Just recently, a couple of weeks ago, police and maintenance workers came and evicted Chuck and Lisa from the tunnel. The local restaurants and clubs, we’re not sure exactly who, walled off the Bat Cave. Many of the people, including Snow White and Country, are in housing now, so they’re leaving me. When I photographed Chuck on the day he was evicted, I could hear this thought in my head: ‘I think my series in ending on me.’ So it’s just a matter of collecting a few more things that maybe are necessary, but it’s done. They’re leaving me. The project is ending on me. Of course, I’m so sorry about that because I love this piece. But also, I’m terrified. How am I going to find a story that is as good as this one? On the first day, when I left the tunnel, I didn’t know for how long they would allow me to follow them, but I knew I had a story.

New York. Chuck (his street name) reading on the tracks near his makeshift home in the walls of New York City's Amtrak Train tunnel where he has been living for more than nine years © Andrea Star Reese.

They want to make it into a book, but for me, as a photographer, I think it’s too soon for a photography book, but for them to write about their lives and to accompany it with my photos, that’s possible. But you know, if it can’t be done, I can self-publish something for them. I’m going to raise some money somehow and arrange so at least they’ve got their book and they will write it and we’ll see how far it goes.

BJP: How did “The Urban Cave” end up at Visa?
Andrea Star Reese: One of my teachers suggested to me that I send my work to Jean-François Leroy and it was May of 2008. I sent it to him and put in a note that it wasn’t complete and sent me back a reply saying: ‘Submit it when it’s finished.’ Then I came to Perpignan that September and I introduced to Jean-François and told him that I sent him some work and he said ‘Oh, everybody sends me work’. But I described it to him and he said: ‘Oh yes, I remember that one. Okay, submit it, but don’t wait until May, you have to submit it in January or February.’ He actually came to New York to look at work and contacted me to meet me and look at the work.

BJP: Jean-François Leroy called you one of the revelations of this year’s festival.
Andrea Star Reese: Don’t tell me that. You see, now you’ve made me nervous. I was fine until you said that. I’m trying to hard not to be overwhelmed by all this. I worked just as many years filming in Indonesia and I cannot get anyone to look at that work. Then, I go into still photography and editors will look at my work. People will view it. It’s such a change in my life.

BJP: A good change?
Andrea Star Reese: Yes, it’s a very good change.

BJP: What’s next for you, now?
Andrea Star Reese: Well, it’s the next story. Let’s hope I find it. But there are several possibilities. First of all, there is unfinished work in Indonesia. I’d love to go back there now that I know a little bit more what I’m doing. There is also a small manufacturing company in Western Pennsylvania that has survived the economic crisis and has actually done well. They have a branch in Mexico and I would like to cover them, because it’s so different but yet it’s the same small town people, I like that. The other thing, of course, is the same neighborhood. It’s changing right in front of me. They are people living in Projects who are at risk of ending on the street because they are being forced out. All the poor people are being forced out of their neighborhood. I’ve actually shot a bit for this already. And I have security to help me in the Projects – my security is Snow White.

To view Andrea Star Reese's series, visit www.andreastarreese.com.