Emily Wortel

Raw, vulnerable and powerful at the same time. This photo presentation is an honest ode to the body as it truly is: changed by time, life, and love. In direct, unedited images, I invite you to view things differently: without shame, without filter, without judgement. A visual plea for body positivity, self-acceptance and the disconnection of nudity from sexuality.

This social project was shown at Noorderzon 2025, in collaboration with NonFiction Photo. Alongside the film and exhibition itself, there were Society Talks on the subject.

I grew up with a younger brother who is blind. His head is also too small in proportion to his body.

That often led to looks and stares that I found hard to bear. I’m also very visually oriented myself, and I find it fascinating to look at people, but I don’t want to be rude. I consciously make sure not to stare.

With this short film, I want to open up the conversation about how we look at each other, how aware we are of that gaze, and how we deal with it. Because people look, and I want to look too. But what happens when that gaze is experienced as inappropriate? What does it do to the person being looked at, and how can we become aware of the effect it has?