No matter how grand or obscure, we can always trust a building to tell us the history of a people. In Beirut, Lebanon, lies Semiramis, a once luxury and iconic structure turned to ruin due to the country’s economic crisis. Photojournalist Ségolène Ragu is bringing this building to light with her fervent documentation. Within her series, she captures the eroding exterior and warm interior with equal care – from worn pillars and smashed windows, to images of front rooms that tell an intergenerational story. All stemming from her childhood memories of summers in Lebanon, a home away from her hometown in France, she immortalises the stories of people who have seen much strife, and are now seeing threats of eviction. “Collectively, they’ve all been through situations that tell a part of the history of Lebanon – the supposed ‘golden age’, the civil war, exile, political assassinations, uprisings, and the consequences of the economic crisis that is still worsening, but also the story of family and sacrifice,” she tells us.

There is nothing like a cause that stirs you so profoundly that it changes the course of your life and purpose. In 2019, Ségolène was working at a local cinema and began documenting the uprisings – known as the 17 October Revolution. The report doesn’t just capture outrage and flames, but it shows us the quiet moments, with people in tents camping out and a group of raised flags, plus the camaraderie and commitment among the people. “This is when I knew I wanted to be a photojournalist,” she tells us. “My family also spoke to me a lot about the Lebanese Civil War and I wanted to understand what they had been through since then,” she adds. Ever since, she has had a particular focus on the fallout of these historical moments, placing them in the context of everyday life.