This project was made during three trips to Egypt’s New Administrative Capital (NAC) in 2023 and 2024. The NAC is a planned city rising from desert sand, 50 km east of Cairo. Housing for 6.5 million people, along with a grand government district and vast military complexes for the autocratic regime, is under construction. While ministries moved in last year, the rest of the city remains mostly deserted, with only workers maintaining the glass façades and rose-lined streets. The high cost of apartments leaves the question of whether the city will ever be inhabited enough to justify the expense and consumption of resources.
I was captivated by its bizarre, almost sci-fi aesthetic. With strict press restrictions, access was difficult, and I was eventually arrested with an Egyptian friend after asking two men for their portrait in the Ministerial District. After intense questioning and two sleepless nights at a police station, we were released without explanation.
—Louis Roth, a winner of the LensCulture Emerging Talent Awards 2024. Discover all 25 emerging talents here!
