Christian Nilson Nilson

Puff is German slang and means brothel. Believe it or not, I had never been to one before this, strip clubs sure, but never a full-fledged brothel. This project was shot over 18 months in one of the best-known brothels in Switzerland, the Rote Villa. Prostitution is said to be one of the oldest professions in the world, dating back to 2’400 B.C. but it’s also one of the most looked down upon.

Puff is a story about strong women and their everyday life as prostitutes living and working in the Rote Villa. Most of the women come from Eastern Europe and have had a pretty rough life in one way or another. With unemployment rates being what they are in Eastern Europe and the fact that most of the women have not had access to a solid education gives them limited chances of earning good money in a regular job. Prostitution for them is a way to be able to support themselves and their families back home. For them it is the best way of survival, selling their bodies to lonely men.

I’m curious by nature, my camera is my ticket to new experiences, meeting new people and learning new things. Helping me make sense of my surroundings, helping me understand the universe around me.