The Dying Man Who Would Not Die

Sasha Mongin's photo series captures her childhood living with her father's HIV diagnosis, exploring themes of denial, fear, and love. Her dreamlike images blend metaphor and reality, reflecting her family's intimate relationship with death and resilienc

In a deeply personal series, photographer Sasha Mongin immerses us in the intimacy of her family history.

“My father contracted HIV from a blood transfusion in 1982 following heart surgery. AIDS allowed a rare virus to attack his brain, severely impairing his motor and speech abilities. I was 7 years old at the time, and the doctors gave him only a few months to live. But he proved them wrong, and he is still with us today.”

The images convey the perspective of a child who lived for years with the certainty that her father was about to die.

“I remember denying my father's illness, retreating into the illusion that he was secretly going out at night. I remember my mother's loneliness as our relatives, friends, and family gradually abandoned us. I remember feeling relieved that my father had AIDS and not a brain tumor, as I had been told until I was 12 years old. Death has always been a common topic in my daily life and that of my parents. They laugh about it, they cry about it, and they await it.”

While the subject is alternately treated in a metaphorical or very explicit manner, all the images are imbued with Sasha Mongin's dreamlike and fantastical universe, a way for her to illuminate the sadness of this story with the love that filled her childhood.