Snezhana von Buedingen

Meeting Sofie

How far should a pre-birth diagnosis go? From an ethical perspective, prenatal tests are quite controversial. Critics see them as a targeted search for sick children in their mothers’ wombs - for embryos with Down syndrome. They also question what this medical control means for people living with this condition - for their rights to assistance, participation and inclusion. Inclusion means giving people with handicaps a presence and visibility within society - and photography is one means of doing so. I started taking pictures of Sofie young woman with Down syndrome back in 2017 when she was 18 years old. She just finished school and spent almost every day on the family estate in Eilenstedt (Germany). Sofie comes from a family of famous antique dealers and grew up in the magical atmosphere of this farm. Visiting Sofie and her family for over four years, I experienced their everyday lives and shared the highs and lows of her first steps into love. At that time Sofie was in that awkward yet beautiful and thrilling age of transition from a girl to a woman, when every feeling is extremely intense and love seems to be the main purpose of life. Sofie has a very strong bond with her mother Barbara. Barbara was 39 when Sofie was born, at home on Christmas night 25.12.1998. It was three weeks later during a routine doctor’s appointment when she found out Sofie had Down syndrome and should have required an operation on her heart. With my series „Meeting Sofie“ I want show the beauty of \"being different\" and thus to contribute to deeper acceptance, integration and love among us humans.