Pantelleria

In 2016, Bastien Lattanzio first discovered the island of Pantelleria, a tiny fragment of volcanic earth equidistant from Sicily and the Tunisian coast. It seemed like a magical hidden oasis to him. A big part of this was evidently the Dammuso houses with their white roofs, where the melting pot of Italian culture takes on an Arabic influence, and the winding road cut into the cliffs which circles the island, like Jupiter's ring; escarpments of black rock plunging into the infinite blue of the sea. Bastien Lattanzio was soon to go there again. And then again. Every summer for many years.

"As I explored Pantelleria, I felt like I'd finally found what I'd been looking for my whole life. The place has a kind of perfectly homogenous aesthetic that really moves me. There aren't any billboards or signs to ruin the view. The Dammusi are constructed according to strict architectural rules with their walls made of lava rock. When I'm on this island, I feel like I'm in permanent ecstasy."

The island's geography and space constraints reduces the range of options and pares down everything to life's essentials. You capture and document the elements near at hand without losing yourself by going too far. People drive old Fiat 500s or vintage English 4x4s that they don't even lock when they go shopping. The dozen resturants on the island restrict your choices and the Kaya Kaya, the port bar, is perfect for a Negroni after a boat trip. The idea of making a book about it seemed obvious. It was a spontaneous desire to document the location's beauty, to immortalise it somewhere so you can remember it when you're missing it.

It's full of contemplations by the waterside or at the wheel of an old car. Shot using real film, the photos are full of colours and the natural landscape.