Domestic necropolis

Gravestones become beds, tombs serve as dinner tables. An entire community lives daily alongside death—not by choice, but by necessity. This is the reality our documentary project—both photographic and video—aims to tell with a deep, respectful, and immersive gaze.

In the heart of Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital, over a hundred people live permanently in a cemetery located in the middle of a slum. It has been transformed into an informal village made of wooden shacks, scrap metal, and tarpaulins. Extreme poverty, combined with the consequences of environmental disasters and political decisions, has forced entire families to seek refuge among the graves.

“At first… it was partly because of the floods, and partly because the government decided the river had to be cleared. Our floating village… they said it looked bad, especially since they were building skyscrapers all around,” says Pat.

“So little by little, we moved to the riverbank, in a place that back then was outside the city. Others like us were already there. We built shacks, small homes, with whatever we had. But over time, even that place became part of the city. They built around us, and eventually, they kicked us out again. Only this time… we didn’t know where else to go.”

“When we got here, there was no space left. Every corner was already taken. But then we noticed a patch of open land… it was a cemetery. At first, it was just two families. The idea was to stay only a short while, just enough time to find somewhere else. But then… we saw the spirits didn’t bother us. So we decided to stay.”

“Slowly, more people came. At first, they were scared. But when they saw we could live here, that no one came to chase us out, and that the ghosts kept quiet… they got brave. Now, there are many of us. The graves have become part of our homes. We live on them, beside them, around them. We respect them. Some even built altars to thank the spirits for letting us stay.”

The reportage explores this one-of-a-kind reality, aiming to restore humanity and dignity to those who, despite living on the margins, manage to build a sense of community every day. The goal is not just to show, but to tell: through images, interviews, and everyday moments, a microcosm emerges—suspended between superstition and survival, sorrow and resilience.

“Living with the Dead” is a work of testimony and denunciation, but also of listening.

It is a journey into the deafening silence of marginalization, into a forgotten world where the presence of spirits is more accepted than the presence of people.